Hermione's Circumstances
by PyroAndrea
Summary: Started before HBP! Hermione is the perfect student, but why? Why does she strive for such perfection? Her past finally comes to the surface, but can she hide it from Ron and Harry? Can she hide the fact that she's a witch from a family that already looks
1. Hermione's Thoughts

**A/N:** Hey y'all! Um, I haven't posted anything in a looooong time and I still have quite an unfinished story in need of a middle and an end... but for now, I'm just gonna write a short little fic about Hermione and how she deals with being the perfect student and why she tries so hard to be such. This chapter is in Hermione's first person. The rest of the chapters will most likely be in third person, but might follow Hermione around. This is a R/Hr fic!  
  
**_Hermione's Circumstances_**

**Chapter One**  
  
The perfect student.  
  
That's what I had to be.  
  
I guess it all started on my first day of kindergarten, though technically you could say that it started long before then. No one at Hogwarts understands why I study so hard... Why I skip meals and stay up late... They don't understand, because I can't tell them. Even Harry and Ron think that I have the most normal and perfect family, if I told them it was far from that, they would misunderstand.  
  
My current parents are wonderful. I love them very much and they love me. My current parents however, are not my real parents. My real father is the younger brother of my current father. He was the black sheep of the family I suppose. He chose to make a living as a con artist while the rest of my family are and had been dentists for generations.  
  
I don't have many memories of my real parents; they packed up one day when I was very young, and disappeared, leaving me behind, alone. The memories that I do have of them however, are not pleasant ones.  
  
I don't think they cared for children very much.  
  
After I was abandoned by my real parents, my current parents took me in. The rest of the family have always said that I would turn out to be no good. That a child coming from such parents couldn't possibly turn out well. They would say things like that right in front of me when I was younger. I suppose that since I was a child, they didn't think I would understand.  
  
I understood a lot more than they thought...  
  
From that moment on, I made it my duty to be the perfect child. As my current parents had me start taking piano lessons, I would practice tirelessly for hours until the songs were perfect. I could not afford to make any mistakes during my recitals. I had to make my current parents proud; I had to prove to the rest of my family that I would not turn out like my real parents.  
  
When Kindergarten began, I discovered a new way to impress my current parents. I would academically surpass every other child in my class. I had to.  
  
I have to prove that I am not a useless person.  
  
It's even more important now that I'm at Hogwarts that I do academically well. My parents don't exactly understand everything about the magical world, but they do understand academic grades. I have to work extra hard to show them that being a witch is a worthwhile pursuit.  
  
My parents respect my decision to be at Hogwarts, but I can't talk to my parents the way Ron can. Ron has such a close and open family. They share things with one another; they understand all the bad things that are going on in the wizarding world. It's hard for me to just talk to my parents the way that Ron does his.  
  
I love my parents more than anything, but they just aren't as open about the sharing of thoughts, feelings and emotions like Ron's. They tend to keep their thoughts to themselves, and so do I. Especially when it comes to the dangers of the wizarding world.  
  
Since both my parents are dentists, they always seem to busy. We never have time for that sit down dinner without a phone ringing or a business meeting interfering. They're always off at the office or at a work conference.  
  
I'm about to begin my seventh year at Hogwarts and the NEWTS are right around the corner. This is the height of my career as a student and here, I can not fail.  
  
**A/N:** Sorry bout the shortness and the randomness and the total lack of plot! Wow, I'm really sorry bout a lot of stuff! Anyway, the next chapter will actually have a plot! This is NOT a diary story! It will have a plot and it will begin next chapter. Any suggestions? I would love to hear them, trust me.


	2. Summer Begins

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I'm finished with school now until the fall, so hopefully I'll be getting at least one chapter up a week! I apologize for the last chapter being so short! This one isn't much longer, but I wanted to ask y'alls opinion on something. I'll ask at the end, hope this chapters okay... Sorry the story is progressing so slowly...  
  
**To My Reviewers**: Wolverine is Hott- Thanks a lot for you sweet review, and don't worry, no amount of flattering could ever make me cocky, I don't think, it only encourages me to write more! If they do kiss, I'll keep that in mind   
  
HPInitialDfreak971- Thanks I really appreciate that! I wasn't too sure how y'all would like it! Initial D is a fun video game!  
  
katie janeway- Thanks for the encouragement, I really need it!  
  
READER- Thanks for reviewing! I don't think this is what's really going on in the books, but I think it sort of fits in nicely anyway and will make for some fun R/Hr drama later on!  
  
GeekGurl- Well, I don't think it's such a great start, but I'm glad you like it, cause that's what matters!  
  
**Chapter Two**  
  
A warm breeze gusted in from Hermione's open bedroom window. She was lying on top of her white-frilled comforter, unconsciously stroking her beloved cat Crookshanks, who lay beside her.  
  
"This is going to be one long summer." Hermione whispered to herself.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had decided to take a much needed vacation after everything that had happened in sixth year. The Order had taken quite a few hits in the war against the dark lord, but things had once again settled down, giving both sides time to lick their wounds and recover. The Weasleys decided that a family vacation was a must and of course took Harry along with them. Harry was just as much a part of the Weasley family now, as Ron was.  
  
Ron...  
  
He wasn't coming home from his vacation until the day before school started. When Ron had told Hermione about the vacation and how Harry was coming along, she was almost... jealous of him... She loved Harry more than anything, she would give her life for him and she was delighted to know that he would be happy and taken care of this summer, but, she wanted to be with them, be a part of their celebrations. She always felt left out for one reason or another, because she's a girl, because she's a Muggleborn, because she has parents who care about her. She would never fit in the Weasley family like Harry was able to.  
  
But when Ron had told her about the vacation, she merely smiled and said that she hoped they'd have fun and that this would give her some time to spend with her parents. She knew that, that was a lie. She wanted them to have fun, but in her heart, she hoped with every fiber of her being that because she wasn't with them to make the trio complete, that they would be unable to completely enjoy themselves.  
  
"Awful! I'm such a selfish, spoiled brat!" Hermione hissed at herself as she sat straight up in her bed, whipping a forming tear out of her eye, causing Crookshanks to leap to the floor in anger of being disturbed. She hated herself so much for putting her own feelings before Harry's. Things haven't been easy for him since Sirius died; he deserved to have some fun.  
  
The truth was, her parents weren't even home to spend any time with. They were off at a dentist convention and wouldn't be back until the family reunion... Hermione flopped back onto her bed in frustration. She had managed to avoid attending the much dreaded annual Granger family reunion for six years running!  
  
Her dad's side of the family were scattered all over the place. Most of them lived scattered across Europe, but a one lived in the United States and one even resided in South Africa. They had decided years ago; when her father was still attending college and before she was born, that every August, her father, his siblings, their families, and her grandparents would get together for an entire week to just spend some "quality time" with one another.  
  
Ron and Harry were her redeemers, because of their friendship; she had somewhere else she was able to go during what she liked to consider, a week of complete and utter torture. Now however, Ron and Harry were off having the time of their lives without her, and she was left alone to bear seeing family members she hadn't seen for six years, making the reunion, almost certain death. She couldn't blame Harry and Ron for that though; after all, she hadn't even told them about her family situation, how could she blame them for something she had never told them? If she had told them, perhaps she would have been able to go with... but she had to face her family again sometime she supposed.  
  
Hermione took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. They were going to ask her all kinds of questions about her school. Where it was located, what did she study, how were her teachers? It's not the fact that they were going to basically interrogate her that was giving Hermione that queasy sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, it was the fact that they would do it in the most sickly sweet, caring, interested voice they could muster.  
  
"URGH!" Hermione let out in anger as her fists tightened with the memory. Just thinking of the tone of voice they would use made her infuriated. She would rather talk to Snape, whom she knew utterly hated her, because he didn't try and hide it behind the most fake caring voice ever! She knew her family hated her, she knew it, she knew it! She overheard them talking bad about her behind her back more times than she could count, and she could count pretty darned high. And yet, they still pretended to have concern for her to her face.  
  
WHAM Hermione slammed her fists down onto the bed at her sides. She hated her family even more than she had hated Umbridge in fifth year; she just hadn't thought about them in so long, she forgot that she hated them. Now however, all the painful and enraging memories she had came rushing to the forefront.  
  
"I'll show them..." Hermione said fiercely as she stood from her bed, Crookshanks watching her with beady eyes. "I'll show them I'm not useless like my birth parents. I'll answer every one of their stupid questions with a smile on my face. They won't know what hit them." With that, Hermione walked out of her room with a focused look in her eye and sat down at her father's computer desk. She wasn't going to be caught without an answer, she was going to be prepared, and if she was going to be prepared, she first had to do some research.  
  
**A/N:** How was it? Okay I hope... Well, now I want to ask y'all if you think that Harry and Ron should show up at the reunion? Are y'all getting bored of just Hermione? I mean, if they don't show up at this reunion, I was gonna have them show up at a Christmas thing at Hermione's. Be honest and tell me if this is totally boring! If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!  
  
**Personal Note:** I prefer reading fanfiction to writing it and the only reason I actually write it sometimes is because I get an idea in my head and I can't find a story that matches it that I can read... So I apologize for making you suffer because of my selfish reasons! 


	3. The Reunion Day One

A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry it took me soooo long to get this chapter up! It's a little bit longer than the others though!  
  
Hermione yawned. It was already twelve o'clock in the morning and she hadn't even noticed how late it was. Stretching, she stood up and headed for bed. She had been studying about all sorts of schools and had finally decided upon saying she went to a private school that wasn't too close, but not too far away. Being a 7th year student this coming year or a senior, she had as well planned out her future college career. As far as her family would know, she had already applied to several high class learning institutes and was planning on studying criminal law. She would be a prosecutor of course.  
I

t was so ironic it was wonderful! Her parents were known criminals and she was going, or at least pretending to go to college to put criminals like her parents in jail. Certainly that would show them that she was nothing like her real parents.

Yawning once more Hermione sluggishly changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Shortly after Hermione had settled into a cozy spot, Crookshanks leapt upon the bed, walked in a few circles and then proceeded to curl up at Hermione's feet.

Tomorrow was the big day. Her parents were getting home first thing in the morning and her relatives were arriving late that evening. All of her father's relatives would be staying at her house for the entire week. Well, all of her father's relatives except for her real father and mother that is.

Anxious and nervous Hermione tossed and turned at couple of dozen times before Crookshanks mewed angrily at her and she finally settled into a fitful sleep. So fitful in fact that she didn't hear the loud tap tap tapping on her second story bedroom window.

"Stupid girl!" a man's voice echoed.

"All you ever do is get in the way!" another voice, a woman's voice, seemed to come from every direction.

A small figure coward in the corner. Rain was pattering on the roof, the power was out and the only light came from the flashes of lightening in the storm that roared outside.

"Get up!" the man shouted at the small girl, no more than four years old.

SMACK the sound seemed to resonate through the almost empty room. Tears welled up in the little girl's brown sugar eyes as a red welt slowly appeared on her cheek. The man, baring his teeth in anger, grabbed the tiny girls arm and jerked her to her feet.

"Now get moving!" growled the man as he grabbed a suit case in each hand and walked out into the storm. The woman looked harshly at the girl before picking up the last suit case and heading outside.

"Come on!" she yelled behind her and the small girl, reluctantly followed her parents outside. As she reached the porch, a bolt of lightening struck somewhere nearby, followed by a roar of thunder. The whole house to shook and little Hermione yelped in terror. Her parents were finished loading the car and had climbed into the front seats.

"Get in!" Her father demanded, but she was unable to move. She was stuck to the spot in fear and couldn't bring herself to step off the safety of the porch and into the rain and thunder and lightening.

Infuriated, Hermione's father began to open the car door, when sirens began to sound in the distance.

"Forget about her! Let's just go!" Her mother said, pulling her father back into the car, a look of fear in her eyes.

"Fine." The man huffed, slamming the door shut and cranking the engine. Quickly he sped out of the driveway and down the road, never looking back.

HONK the loud car horn jerkily awoke Hermione from her sleep. With bleary eyes, Hermione strained to look at the clock on her night stand. In an attempt to better her vision, Hermione rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands, as she did this however, her hand caught a stray tear in the corner of her eye. Confused, Hermione realized that her cheeks were unusually damp. Had she been crying? She knew that she had been having a dream, but what was she dreaming about...? Hermione stared at her ceiling in thought, before another loud honk broke her train of thought.

"Oh!" Hermione shouted, once again returning her eyes to the clock, it was 11 A.M. Her parents, they were home! Quickly Hermione jumped out of bed, put on the first outfit she found and hurried outside where her parents were now unloading their car.

"Hello Mum, Dad." Hermione said as she gave each of her parents in turn, a hug. "How was the convention?"

"Oh, it was lovely dear." Her mother said with a smile as she headed towards the house.

"We got you a new tooth brush." Her father added as he followed his wife into the house with a suitcase in each hand. Hermione walked in after her dad, shutting the door behind them.

"What time is your family coming dad?" Hermione asked, hoping for later, rather than sooner.

"Oh, we should be expecting them around five, I believe." Mr. Granger answered.

"Hopefully in time for dinner." Mrs. Granger added. Hermione put on a rather convincing smile and headed upstairs to her room. She had every intention of sulking until her relatives arrived before she heard her mother say. "Hermione dear, we've told the family that you attend an all girl school, we didn't think it was a good idea to go telling them all that you were a witch. We don't think they'd quite understand. So, if they start asking you about your school, you'll know what they're talking about."

"Okay, thanks mum." Hermione smiled through her shock, until she reached her bedroom.

"This ruins everything!" Hermione muttered under her breath, anger apparent on her face as she began to rip up sheets of paper and throw them into the trash. What a waste of time! Of course her parents had already come up with a cover story the past four years they attended the reunion without her!

Hermione angrily flopped onto her bed, what was she thinking? She could have spent her time doing something productive like studying or writing to Ron and Harry. Speaking of Ron and Harry, she hadn't heard from them since they'd left for vacation.

"I guess they're having too much fun to even think about writing me..." Hermione sighed.

Five o'clock rolled around faster than Hermione had hoped. She had spent the entire time that she had gotten up until the time five arrived, getting dressed. She had to look nice, not too nice, but simple nice. She was wearing a white button up shirt, a knee length black skirt, some black sandals and her hair was actually fairly tame. After all, she had only brushed it about a dozen times in the past few hours, in her opinion it was much less frizzy than it had been years before.

Hermione now paced back and forth before the front door. She had a big knot in her stomach and she felt very much like she needed to throw up. What if she did throw up? Then maybe she could get away with laying in her room sick the entire time, completely avoiding the entire situation. Then again, what if she threw up in front of her family? That would be the most horrifically embarrassing thing that could ever happen! In the middle of Hermione's self debate, the door bell sounded and Hermione's breath caught in her chest as her heart pounded harder against her ribs. Taking a deep breath, Hermione stood up straight, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and opened the front door.

"Well hello!" Hermione's aunt Chelsea greeted as she came into the entrance. "Haven't grown much over the years have you dear?" She said jokingly, but the joke didn't reach her cold appraising eyes. Hermione only smiled in response.

"Good to see you again Aunt Chelsea, may I take your bags? You and Uncle Tom will be sleeping in the den downstairs and Samantha and Maria will be sleeping in my room." Hermione said as cheerfully as possible.

"Thank you dear." Aunt Chelsea said as she dropped her luggage at Hermione's feet. After Aunt Chelsea entered, her two daughters, Samantha 18 and Maria 15, and her husband Tom came in. They gave Hermione a disapproving look before dropping their bags by her feet and following Chelsea into the kitchen to greet William and Tabitha Granger, Hermione's parents.

"Right, well, I'll just lug all your bags to your rooms, shall I?" Hermione muttered under her breath before grabbing Chelsea and Tom's bags and dragging them down the stairs.

Slowly the entire Granger family arrived. Aunt Susan and Uncle Frank had a little boy named Bradley who was six years old and who at first sight of Hermione proceeded to ask his parents if she "was the bad one" they had warned him about. They immediately shrugged it off as "kids say the craziest things" and Hermione politely smiled the remark off.

Last to arrive was Aunt Michelle and Uncle Bernard with their 1 and a half year old toddler Mark. They didn't arrive until 8:30 that night.

The family arrived in such staggered time variations that everyone just ended up having sandwiches when they arrived. The big formal Granger reunion dinner would be the next day. Hermione was so busy rushing around the house all day, fixing up makeshift beds, gathering blankets, and pretending to be cheerful, that the tap tap tapping at her second story bedroom window went once again completely unnoticed.  
  
A/N: Ron and Harry will be in the next chapter! I promise! I started this story with one idea in my head, but now I think I'm going to take this story in a total different direction. I would however like to ask one of my readers what they think of this idea before I decide to go with it. So, if you're willing to hear my ideas, leave me your e-mail address and I'll ask you what direction you think I should go in, so that I do not to ruin the plot for everyone. I really appreciate y'all reading this! Thanks for reviewing everyone!


	4. Ron and Harry Arrive

**A/N:** First off let me clear this up, I am a supporter of... Voldemort! Not really, I'm really a supporter of Ron/Hermione, so that is what this story will eventually be. They are just too cute, eh? Anyway now that that's out of the way, I really appreciate all advice and suggestions y'all have given me, it's all really been encouraging and I am taking all suggestions seriously, so keep them coming. Oh and apparently I have good grammar, I wish someone would tell my Literature teacher that, a stupid B, hah! So thanks for the compliments and congrats to my two reviewers who spotted what this story is based on, Kare Kano, it's a very good anime and y'all should all check it out! The further into the story I get the further from the anime it will be, but it gave me a whole lot of good ideas!  
  
**Chapter 4**  
  
SPLASH Hermione was jerked from her dreamy state of unconsciousness as every nerve in her body detected something freezing and her lungs inhaled water. Coughing and sputtering, Hermione's eyes shot open to see her older cousin Samantha holding an empty bucket over her head.  
  
"Good morning." Samantha said with a grin on her face.  
  
"Wha-what?" Hermione gasped, in complete shock. 'Did she really just drench me with freezing cold water?' Hermione thought in disbelief.  
  
"Your mum asked if I'd wake you up, so I did. And you can call me Sam." Samantha explained, grinning all the while. Hermione's face was straight, but inside she was absolutely fuming. She wanted to scream 'Where the heck are you from that makes you think that it's alright to wake someone up in that manner?!' Instead however, she remained calm. She couldn't let her relatives get the best of her; she would prove to them that she was better than her common criminal parents; she had to be absolutely perfect.  
  
"Oh... well... thank you Sam." Hermione threw her, what she considered to be a very convincing smile concerning the circumstances, as she got out of her now wet bed. She was drenched from waist up and her hair had already begun to frizz.  
  
"Yes mum?" Hermione asked as she reached the kitchen still dressed in a soaking wet red tank top and yellow shorts, her sleeping clothes.  
  
"Could you get the mail dear?" Tabitha Granger asked her daughter over the waffles she was preparing for breakfast before she turned to look at her. "Hermione! What on earth happened to you, you're soaking wet?"  
  
"Just Sam's way of saying good morning." Hermione shrugged before leaving her mother with a slight frown on her face to get the mail. 'Get the mail?' Hermione thought angrily. 'I got woken up, like that, so I could get the mail?!' Hermione sighed. It wasn't her mother's fault... Her parent's didn't know how awful her cousins were to her behind their backs and she had no intention of being a cry baby and telling them.  
  
Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice two large lumps lying on her door matt when she walked out. Which led her to trip and tumble right on top of them.  
  
"What the-?!" Hermione muttered, rubbing her now scrapped elbow. The two lumps, now having been tripped and fallen on groaned and began to move. Hermione jumped up and began to run back inside before she noticed a mop of red and black hair pop out from their respective blankets.  
  
"Ron... Harry...?" Hermione asked the mounds uncertainly, but as soon as she did, both stood unsteadily and smiled at her with bleary eyes. "Ron! Harry!" Hermione beamed, throwing her arms around each of them in turn.  
  
"Hermione, you know it's custom to gently shake people awake, not fall on them right?" Ron asked with a grin.  
  
"Well, I didn't get woken up very nicely this morning either." Hermione said, gesturing towards her wet clothes, the boys raised the eyebrows questioningly at each other, then at her. "Look, I'm not explaining anything until you explain to me what you're doing sleeping on my front porch when you ought to be on vacation!"  
  
"We sent Pig with a couple of letters from me and Ron a couple nights ago." Harry began. "And, we told him not to return without your replies. Early the next morning Pig returned with the same letters we had sent you, completely untouched!" Harry said, gesturing wildly with his hands and Ron took this as his cue to take over the story.  
  
"So, Harry and I were rather flustered, this had never happened before!" Ron said, "So, we tried again, thinking that perhaps Pig went to the wrong house or something. This time, we sent Hedwig with instructions to give you the letters directly, but late last night or early this morning I guess you could say, Hedwig returned with once again unopened letters!" Hermione smiled at her two best friends, glad to be looking at them in person once more instead of just in her mind and enjoying listening to what seemed to be a well rehearsed explanation.  
  
"This made us more than a little uneasy. You'd have told us if you were going out of town, so what if Voldemort had attacked you or something?" Harry said, running his hands through his messy hair.  
  
"We were really worried, but dad said that nothing serious could have happened, 'cause he would of heard about it through the Order." Ron said seriously, shuffling his feet a little and jamming his hands into his pockets. "We told them that we weren't taking any chances though and we flooed straight to the Burrow where we then caught the Knight Bus to your house."  
  
"Once we got here, we saw everything was fine, and that we had probably overreacted." Harry admitted with a sheepish smile. "We saw all the cars in your drive way and we realized that you probably had company over and either didn't notice the owls or couldn't risk your muggle guests seeing you getting letters by them."  
  
"So," said Ron wrapping up the story, "We're here because we care! Now... can we stay here 'til school starts?" Ron asked as Harry joined him in plastering a cheesy smile on their faces, clasping their hands together and falling to their knees in true begging stance.  
  
"When you discovered that I was fine, why didn't you two just go back?" Hermione asked as she looked down at them with a raised eyebrow. "We can't go back now!" Ron said, starring at Hermione as if she were crazy. "Mum didn't want us to come all the way here on our own in the first place. She was furious when we told her we were leaving. If we go back, she's likely to kill us!" Hermione looked down at Ron and Harry with uncertainty, Harry noticed this and immediately jumped in.  
  
"Were going to owl her of course, and let her know everything is fine. She's just very angry at the moment, since we left without her permission and all. We think she needs a bit of time to cool down." Harry said, adding, "Did we mention that we left because we were _really _worried about _you_?" Both boys then took the opportunity to flash Hermione the biggest sympathetic smiles they could muster.  
  
"PLLLEEEEAAAAAASSSEEEE?" They begged in unison and Hermione's serious face cracked into a smile.  
  
"Of course you can." Hermione grinned. "I'll have to clear it with my parents first, but I'm sure they won't mind a couple of extra guests!"  
  
"Terrific!" Harry and Ron shouted with glee as they crushed Hermione between them with a big hug. When they finally let go, Hermione gasped for air, having had it all squeezed out of her in the hug.  
  
"Sleep well last night?" Hermione asked with a grin, looking at their blankets as she stepped over them to retrieve the mail from the mail box.  
  
"Well, we thought it'd be rather rude to wake everyone in the house up in the middle of the night, wouldn't it have?" Ron said, "Besides, were tough Quidditch players! We can take sleeping on very hard wood." Seeming to prove Ron's point, Harry spoke up.  
  
"Yeah and I think I slept on my neck funny, it really hurts" Ron gave Harry a 'what are you, a sissy?' look but Harry just massaged his neck and glared. "It really hurts Ron!"  
  
"Sure, really tough guys." Hermione said through a laugh. "That was very polite of you guys not wake everyone up though... And I appreciate your concern... You two are the best friends I could have ever hoped for." Hermione's eyes started to get misty and she hurriedly looked away from the boys to get the mail so they wouldn't notice.  
  
"Aw Hermione, no need to get all teary eyed." Ron grinned, having known Hermione too long to not notice that she was crying, as he draped his arm around her shoulders and the three Hogwarts student's began their return trip to the house. "You know we'd do anything for you and we know you'd do anything for us!" Hermione smiled up at Ron, it was true, she would give everything she had, even her life for the benefit of her two friends.  
  
"So you can start doing anything for us," Harry said with a cheeky smile. "By telling us how you got soaking wet and why you're wearing Gryffindor colors in the muggle world." Hermione sighed as a grin crept on her face. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad after all if Ron and Harry were there.  
  
**A/N:** So now we've added a Ron and a Harry to the equation! All the reviews I got really gave me a huge confidence boost, which I used to write this chapter fairly quickly. Thanks for reading and a BIG thanks to those who review! I am currently debating the direction of this story with myself and a friendly reviewer of mine, but it shouldn't slow up the next few chapters as they'll be the same regardless! THANKS AGAIN! Review any questions, comments, concerns, advice, criticism, or suggestions and I'll be sure to make note of them! Think that about covers it... bye y'all! 


	5. The Reunion Day Two

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I finally got another chapter up! Sorry 'bout my typos last chapter, but I posted it rather quickly and didn't read over it as much as the others. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Y'all keep me writing! Thanks for the suggestion emsubeme, I didn't think about doing that, but I like the idea I am totally gonna do it! Not this chapter though, I'll do it one of the next ones coming up! Thanks you everyone for you input!  
  
**Chapter 5  
**  
"No way!" Ron exclaimed, the three teenagers still standing outside the Granger home. "She just dumped it on your head and then acted like nothing happened!"  
  
"Yup." Hermione nodded.  
  
"She's as bad as Fred and George, except they do it to try and be funny! This Samantha girl seems to be doing it just because she's evil!" Ron said with vigor, making a fist with one hand and punching his other with it.  
  
"Yeah well," Hermione didn't disagree, "You two have to stay calm, don't rise to her, no matter what she does, promise?" Both Ron and Harry looked reluctant to agree. "You better promise me or else I'll send you back to Mrs. Weasley!" A look of terror filled the boy's faces.  
  
"You wouldn't!" Ron challenged.  
  
"She would." Harry groaned in defeat. "I promise we'll keep it cool."  
  
"Sure, fine, I promise." Ron stated with slumped shoulders and a frown. Hermione grinned and started to head back towards the house, but stopped suddenly and spun around to face them.  
  
"I almost forgot! You can't mention anything about us being magical. My entire family, besides my parents, knows nothing about the Wizarding World or magic or anything. So don't goggle at any of the muggle devices and draw attention to yourself, okay Ron?" Hermione looked at him hard, she wasn't quite sure Ron would be able to contain himself in a house full of muggle objects; he was more like his dad than he would admit.  
  
"Ron? Why Ron? Why not Harry?" Ron pouted, but Harry and Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Fine! Fine! No talking about magic, or eletrikity, or felytones, or-" "Or Hogwarts!" Hermione interrupted Ron's amusing admission that he knew nothing about muggles. "As far as everyone knows, I go to an all girl school."  
  
"Then...How..." Harry said, scratching his head. "How do you know us?"  
  
"I've figured it all out!" Hermione told them excitedly. Harry and Ron were wondering when Hermione could have possibly had time to figure any details out, but decided to let it go and listen to her. "You know Ginny?" Ron and Harry simultaneously rolled their eyes.  
  
"Yes Hermione we know Ginny." Ron stated.  
  
"Well Ron, she's your sister." Hermione pointed out. "Is she?" Ron asked with a huge grin on his face. "Harry, did you know I had a sister named Ginny?" Harry broke into a fit of laughter, causing Hermione to huff in anger, but she proceeded with her explanation anyway.  
  
"So, I will just say that Ginny and I attend the same all girl school and Ginny is a year below me. We became really good friends and I visited her at her house the past few summers, the same time that Harry was visiting you, Ron." Hermione explained. "And of course you two attend the same school." Hermione said quickly, waving that part of the explanation off as an unnecessary addition. "While we were all at the Weasley's house, don't call it the Burrow Ron, most muggles don't name their houses." Hermione added as an after thought. "While we were at the Weasley's house the four of us became great friends and I invited you all over this summer, but Ginny couldn't make it because she got the Flu."  
  
"The Floo?" Ron asked.  
  
"The F-l-u, it's a muggle sickness Ron, you get a fever and you usually vomit quite a bit-" Hermione began, but Harry cut her off.  
  
"I think he gets it Hermione, we don't need the details." Harry grinned at her as he and Ron gathered their blankets and back packs from the porch. "Well, have you told us everything we need to know?"  
  
"Basically." Hermione stated simply. Something about the lack of solidity in her answer made Ron and Harry feel as though she were leaving something out, but as she had already begun to open the door and enter, they decided it was best to leave questions for later and brace themselves for her relatives now.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath as she walked through the entrance hall in her house and headed towards the kitchen where her mother and the majority of her relatives were located. Stopping just outside the kitchen door, Hermione quickly tried to flatten down her still damp and frizzy hair before striding into the kitchen. Harry and Ron remained silently at the door as all of Hermione's aunts and uncles stared at them and Hermione with appraising eyes.  
  
"Mum," Hermione said as she approached her mother, who was still making waffles. "May I speak to you in private for a moment?" Tabitha Granger looked up at her daughter questioningly for a second before catching sight of the two boys standing awkwardly at the door.  
  
"Of course dear." Tabitha said as she took the last couple of waffles out of the waffle irons and set them on plates. Hermione led the way out of the kitchen and into the nearby living room, followed by her mother, and Harry and Ron who were trailing behind.  
  
As soon as they all had reached the living room, Tabitha Granger turned to Harry and Ron and smiled. "Hello boys! It's so good to see you again!" Harry and Ron's nervousness immediately melted away and they found themselves smiling back at Mrs. Granger.  
  
"So, Hermione, what's this all about?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter kindly.  
  
"Mum, Harry and Ron thought that something bad had happened to me because I didn't receive their owls, so they came here to check on me against Mrs. Weasley's wishes and now their scared to go back just yet. Can they stay for the week?" Hermione shot her mother a hopeful smile. "Please?"  
  
"Well, with everyone that's already here, it couldn't hurt to have a couple extra." Mrs. Granger replied and Hermione jumped in the air in excitement before giving her mother a crushing hug. "You boys can stay in the study. I'm sorry we can't offer anything better, but it's really the only room left at the moment." Ron and Harry tried to bite back their laughter.  
  
"No, it'll be great. Thank you Mrs. Granger." Harry said. Mrs. Granger went back into the kitchen after telling Hermione to show them to the study and get them settled and then they could come down for some breakfast.  
  
"I guess I ought to warn you, that my relatives aren't incredibly fond of me." Hermione stated as casually as possible as she led them up the stairs, towards the library.  
  
"Why wouldn't they like you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Besides the obvious fact that you're little miss perfect." Ron added jokingly.  
  
"Truthfully, that's why Sam, my cousin who's a year older than me, seems to hate me." Hermione admitted.  
  
"I was just kidding Hermione, I don't thi-" Ron began, but Hermione cut him off.  
  
"I know Ron, but that's how Sam feels. The rest of my family, just hates me, I'm not sure why." Here Hermione took the opportunity to grab a couple of sleeping bags out of a nearby closet, giving her the chance to successfully avoid looking either Ron or Harry in the eye when she said this. She didn't want them to see the look in her eye, they could always tell if she was lying or how she was feeling just by looking in her eyes and it was quite frustrating really. She didn't want them to know why her family disliked her so greatly, she didn't want them to pity her, and she could handle things just fine on her own.  
  
After Hermione helped get Ron's and Harry's temporary room set up in the study, which happened to be directly across the hall from Hermione's bedroom (Ron didn't fail to point this amusing fact out), they headed down towards breakfast.  
  
Most of the Granger family had finished breakfast and were now located in the living room, for this fact Hermione was very grateful, she felt like she always had to have her guard up around them, and see wanted to be able to enjoy spending some quality time with Ron and Harry.  
  
As Hermione entered the kitchen however, she noticed one family member was still taking their time, slowly cutting and eating her waffle. Sam. Hermione let out an inward groan, but put on an outward smile.  
  
"Good morning Sam." Hermione said as she got the plates out of the cabinet and handed them to one to each boy. Sam, though, was not listening to Hermione, she was to busy noticing the two boys beside her to even hear what Hermione was saying.  
  
"Well, well, well. Who are you guys?" Sam asked, standing from her seat at the kitchen table as Hermione piled waffles onto Ron and Harry's plate. Both boys looked at her with raised eyebrows. She certainly didn't look anything like Hermione. Sam was tall, a good five inches taller than Hermione who stood a smaller than average five foot two inches. Her hair was slightly wavy and a dirty blonde color, while Hermione's hair was made up of unruly brown curls. Sam was fuller in many places, but was still very skinny, Hermione, though skinny herself was more petite than anything.  
  
Hermione fought to make a straight face as she turned to face her cousin. "Sam, this is Ron and Harry, their good friends of mine, I go to school with Ron's sister. Ron, Harry, this is my cousin Sam." Ron and Harry were staring at Sam with apprehensive looks. They could tell she was the sly trouble maker Hermione had described just by looking at her. Sam however took their looks to mean something entirely different.  
  
"It's wonderful to meet you two," Sam said with what she apparently considered a coy smile. "Now, I must go get dressed, don't you go anywhere." And with that, she left the room. As soon as the door closed behind her the trio of friends burst out laughing.  
  
"I guess she fancies you guys." Hermione said with a grin as she sat down at the table with her plate, followed by Harry and Ron.  
  
"Maybe she'll be nicer to you if she likes us." Ron said with a hopeful smile.  
  
"For some reason Ron, I highly doubt that." Hermione sighed.  
  
**A/N:** Sorry, nothing exciting or important or really anything of interest happens in this chapter but I appreciate y'all reading it anyway. I know it really sucks and I feel stupid posting it, but I guess I had to get it out of the way so I could get to the good stuff. Next chapter shouldn't take too long to get out cause I'm gonna try and have some fun with it. Thanks for all your reviews, I love them! 


	6. Mr Whiskers?

**A/N:** I'm so happy at all y'alls reviews! Thanks a million! It makes me happy to see how curious y'all are about what's going to happen next! I love your suggestions and most the time I'm either already planning on doing it or I like your suggestion so much I'm gonna add it in somewhere later. Y'all have changed my plot and the direction of the story by your suggestions more than you'll ever know! Thanks for reading!  
  
**Review** **Questions:** Haha, I'm sorry if they sound American, after all I am from the U.S. I feel like it'll look stupid if I try to use British words, cause I'm not British, but I apologize and I'll start trying! For Mrs. Granger, I just made up the first name Tabitha. I actually know a girl named Tabitha with rather curely hair that I work with in After School Day care and she's always nice to the misfit kids sooo, I gave her the honor of being Mrs. Granger's name! On a side note, I also work with a girl named Chelsea who's mean to all the misfit kids! Sam is just a year older than Hermione. I think that answers them all, if it doesn't, I'm sorry! Ask me again!  
  
**Chapter Six**  
  
"...and then Fred poured this new powdery invention that he and George made onto Ginny's dinner plate while she wasn't looking, but Ginny's turning out to be as tricky as twins and could tell something was up. So, when Fred went to get something to drink, she switched plates with him and when he took a bite of his food the words "stupid prat" and "kick me" started flashing interchangeably on his forehead." Ron said. Hermione and Harry started laughing. "It took Fred about five good kicks from Ginny and George before he realized that it wasn't that the powder in Ginny's food wasn't working, but that it had somehow got on his food." Hermione and Harry laughed harder.  
  
"I wish I could have been there." Harry said with a big smile.  
  
"It's about time; Fred needed to see what it was like to be pranked instead of being the one doing the pranking for once." Hermione said, trying to look serious, but she couldn't help the smile that kept tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Well, if you ask me, it didn't do him any good. He thought it was hilarious too." Ron said. "If anything, I think it only encouraged him." Just then, the door to the study cracked open and the three Hogwarts students looked expectantly at the door.  
  
"What encouraged who?" Samantha asked curiously.  
  
"Doesn't really matter, it's not really any of your business." Ron said unconcernedly. Hermione gave him a pointed look, telling him that he was being rude, but Ron just shrugged, he personally thought it was very rude to barge in on the middle of someone's conversation.  
  
Samantha didn't seem to be too bothered by his impolite demeanor and sat crossed legged by him on the floor. A little closer to him than Ron would have liked. Actually, being in the same room was closer than Ron would have liked.  
  
"Oh Hermione! Do you remember when I dared you to climb that tree in your back yard, because I just knew you couldn't do it and you fell out and broke your arm?" Samantha said in a voice that would suggest she were reliving the two girl's most pleasant memory together.  
  
"Of course, how could I forget?" Hermione asked, cheeks tinted pink with anger, but her face was a mask of calm. Harry and Ron looked quite abashed at Samantha.  
  
"You were never really good at any physical activities. I think you made it about half way up before a limb broke and you fell to the ground." Samantha smiled and Hermione winced in remembrance.  
  
"If I remember correctly, I made it all the way to the top and half way back down before the limb broke." Stated Hermione, a glint of anger visible in her eyes for a split second before it was gone once again.  
  
"No, no, no. I would have remembered if you had made it to the top." Samantha said. Ron looked worriedly at Hermione, she looked like she was just about to jump up and climb the tree again just to prove that she could do it, when Sam changed tactics at the speed of light. "Do you still have Mr. Whiskers Hermione?" All the anger that Hermione was feeling was suddenly replaced by pure embarrassment.  
  
"...." Hermione was speechless; she didn't think Sam would have remembered that! Ron and Harry looked confusedly from Sam to Hermione and against all his better judgment, Harry asked, "Who's Mr. Whiskers?"  
  
"I'm sure he's still on Hermione's bed, I'll go get him." And with that, Sam jumped from her spot and rushed from the room. Hermione gaped at Harry. And Ron voiced her opinion.  
  
"How could you do that Harry? Give Sam a reason to embarrass Hermione like that!" Ron glared angrily at his best friend.  
  
"I'm sorry... it slipped..." Harry looked sheepishly at his feet and the door flew open once again. Samantha was holding a stuffed orange cat. Its fur was all matted and didn't even have any whiskers, it looked liked it had been ripped several times because there were stitch marks on its neck and legs. Hermione buried her face in her hands.  
  
"Aw, Hermione, you're embarrassed of him? You used to take this ratty old thing with you everywhere." Samantha grinned at Hermione's embarrassment. "It is however a bit childish to still have a stuffed animal; do you want me to get rid of him for you?" Samantha had already started to head out of the room, holding Mr. Whisker by the tail.  
  
"No!" Hermione leaped from her spot and grabbed for Mr. Whiskers, but Samantha held it high in the air. Hermione openly glared at Samantha, all good manners and false cheeriness dropped. "Give him back!"  
  
"There's the Hermione I remember! Try as you might to keep up that perfect facade, it won't work, you'll slip in front of the adults soon enough and they'll see you for how they already know you are." Samantha smirked evilly. Hermione clenched her fists at her sides.  
  
"No matter how hard I try, I may not be perfect, but I'll always be better than you!" Hermione spat angrily. "I saw you sneaking out of the house last night, we're staying in the same room you know, do your parents know where you're sneaking off to so late at night?"  
  
Samantha stared at Hermione for a second before grabbing Mr. Whiskers at the stitching and ripping Mr. Whiskers head clear off his body. Hermione gasped in horror, Samantha grinned, that had certainly wiped that smug look off Hermione's face.  
  
Samantha dropped Mr. Whisker's two halves to the floor and Hermione collapsed on her knees in front of him as Ron and Harry watched, petrified in shock. "Listen here Hermione, I may have cheated in order to graduate first in my class, but as far as everyone else knows, I'm the perfect daughter that you'll never be. I get top marks, I'm the captain of any sports team I want to be on, and I'm certainly a lot prettier than you are." Sam looked down at Hermione scoffing. "You're an outcast in this family, so don't try and pretend that you're better than I am." With that, Sam walked gracefully out of the room. Ron ran and slammed the door behind her, muttering a few choice words that Hermione would have normally reprimanded.  
  
"Don't listen to her Hermione, she's no good!" Ron growled in fury. Harry sat down beside Hermione and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You okay?" Harry asked her. Ron was pacing around making violent gestures in the air when he heard a sniffle.  
  
"Oh Hermione," Ron said, dropping to his knees in front of Hermione who was now clutching the remains of her stuffed cat. "Please don't cry. Don't listen to what that stupid girl says, it's rubbish!"  
  
Hermione however wasn't phased in the least by what Samantha had said, she'd been hearing things like that her entire life. The reason tears were slowly trickling out of her eyes was because her cherished stuffed cat was probably ruined. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut in remembrance.  
  
_It was a hot summer and three year old, almost four year old Hermione was playing in the sun alone. She spent most of her time alone. Her parents were inside talking with a couple people she didn't know, they were wearing funny clothes that were mostly black. Whenever people came over, her parents always complained that she was making too much noise and forced her to go outside and play.  
  
Normally Hermione wouldn't have minded, she liked playing outside, but today was very hot and her parents had only given her a sippy cup of water. She didn't dare ask for more either, her parents didn't react very kindly to being interrupted. Hermione shuddered at the thought.  
  
Deciding to conserve her energy, Hermione sat in the shade of a big tree and began to look at a tattered old word book she had left outside for just such an emergency. She would rather have taken a stick and dug for buried treasure, but her parents didn't like it when she dug holes into their nicely manicured yard.  
  
Hermione was just getting into her book when a loud mew came from some nearby bushes. Hermione set her book down and watched as a small orange kitten tottered out. Hermione reached out her hand and the tiny kitten walked slowly towards her. She noticed that it looked hungry and thirsty as she petted its head softly.  
  
She knew what she had to do. She also knew it could be hours before her parents would let her back into the house, but this was more important. She unscrewed her sippy cup lid and set the now open container on the floor. Little Hermione smiled at the tiny creature as it eagerly lapped up the cool liquid.  
  
As the days went by, Hermione snuck food and drink out to the kitten whenever possible. One day however, her parents caught her in the act.  
  
"What are you doing Hermione?" Her mother asked sharply.  
  
"N-nothing." Hermione responded, holding the slice of chicken and cup of milk behind her back. Forcibly her mother grabbed her hands and pulled them out in front of her.  
  
"What is this?" Mrs. Granger demanded. Before Hermione could answer however, the small orange kitten came mewing out of the hedge. The milk and chicken clattered to the ground. "Oh, I see. Wait until you father hears about this!"  
  
The next day Hermione ventured outside, a few bruises, even rather large bruises wouldn't stop her from taking care of that kitten.  
  
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty." Hermione called, but she got no response. The kitten was gone... her father must have done something to it and she had done nothing to stop him, it was all her fault.  
  
A few months later, after the "incident", as her current parents called it, occurred she was living with her aunt and uncle, but they told her to call them mum and dad. They were in a toy store. Hermione had never been allowed to go in one of those before. She smiled.  
  
"What do you want? You can pick out anything." Her new father said. She was shocked.  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked in a timid voice. Her father reached down towards her. She winced at the blow that was sure to come, but it didn't. Instead she received a gentle pat on the head. She looked up into the eyes of the man that towered over her, they were soft and he gave the girl a small reassuring nod. This had never happened before, such kindness, was it possible?  
  
After walking around the store for a while Hermione pointed with a tiny finger at a medium sized stuffed cat. It wasn't the cutest cat, but it was orange.  
  
"That's what you want?" Her new mother asked sweetly. The little girl nodded eagerly.  
  
"I used to have a cat just like that once." She said, with more confidence than before. Her new parents looked at her questioningly but they didn't voice them. Instead they bought her the cat and Hermione made sure never to let it out of her sight again._  
  
"Hermione, you okay?" Harry asked, shaking her shoulder softly. She had been staring off into space for some time now.  
  
"I'm fine." Hermione said, shaking herself out of her daze, trying to slow the leak of tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry; this... this was just my favorite toy as a child..."  
  
Ron smiled softly at his best friend. "Don't worry Hermione, my mum's a pro at sewing charms, she'll be able to fix it for you, I'm certain of it." Hermione couldn't help but smile back at the boy.  
  
"Thanks Ron." Hermione grinned as she stood up with the stuffed cat cradled carefully in her arms. "I'll just go put him in my trunk, and then we'll need to get ready for dinner."  
  
"Get ready?" Harry asked, but Hermione had already left the room. Ron looked at Harry and shrugged.  
  
**A/N:** I thought I was doing the dinner last chapter, then I thought I was this one, but now I'm pretty sure it'll be the next one! SarahLou, you're the reason I did the whole flashback thing this time, I know it probably wasn't what you wanted when you said I should do more of the dream, but I hope you liked it anyway. Thanks for reading, y'all are terrific!! 


	7. Truth Revealed

**A/N:** I really wanted to get to the dinner in this chapter, really I did, but I just can't seem to get there!! I'm soooo sorry! Especially to GryffindorGoddess28 who begged me very nicely to post before Saturday and I'm sorry to say that is it about 3 o'clock Saturday morning... but I didn't get to the dinner scene this chapter anyway and I'm sorry for it!! I'm not quite sure how or when Sam will get her just rewards, but I'm quite certain that she will! And Mercedes, that's actually your name? I think it's an awesome name, though I can see the downside. I love all y'alls great reviews, you're comments really make me smile! I love how y'all are interested in my story... that's really never happened to me before... sniffles...  
  
**Chapter 7**  
  
Music softly streamed from the study. Harry, who had just taken a shower rubbed his hair with a towel as he made his was into the room.  
  
"What are you doing Hermione? Don't you think you're hairs curly enough as it is?" Harry asked as he noticed Hermione sitting on the floor in a corner of the room with a mirror and a curling iron looking contraption.  
  
"It's not a curling iron Harry, this is a hair straightener." Hermione said as she continued to lip the words as they flowed from the cd player. Harry shrugged his shoulders and sat on the floor beside his back pack. Ron was sitting on a large comfy chair that was situated in one of the corners of the room, slowly turning a lamp on and off, on and off.  
  
"I'll never understand you muggles." Ron said in awe. "All these objects you have really are quite amazing. The wizarding world could learn a lot from muggles." Hermione smiled as she looked away from her mirror and at Ron.  
  
"I'm surprised you've handled yourself so well." Hermione said and Ron gave her a mean look. "I know you are capable of controlling yourself Ron, so don't give me that look. It's just, when I first visited Diagon Alley and Hogwarts, I was amazed, completely mesmerized. I can only imagine that's how you must be feeling now."  
  
"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. It is rather hard." Ron said. Harry raised his eyebrows, had Ron just admitted that Hermione was right? "I have been to muggle places before of course, but I've never been up close and allowed to actually touch anything before..."  
  
"Oh! I wish my family wasn't here!" Hermione burst out. "They ruin everything! If they weren't here, I could show you all the muggle devices and things, it would be really fun."  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it Hermione." Ron smiled. "We'll have plenty of chances for that later, and you can still show me stuff when they leave the house." Hermione nodded.  
  
"I suppose so." She said with a sigh as she turned back to her mirror.  
  
"I'm goin' to go shower now." Ron said as he grabbed his back pack and head for the bath room.  
  
"Ron! Wait!" Hermione shouted as he stepped outside the room, causing him to stop and turn around. "Have you got your school uniform with you?" He nodded. "You might want to wear it, minus the robes of course, the family always sort of dresses up for the reunion dinner." Ron nodded again and headed off to take a shower.  
  
Harry stretched and took a seat in the now vacant arm chair. "I wish you had told me to put on my uniform." Harry was wearing jean shorts and a t- shirt. "Sorry, it slipped my mind." Hermione said off handedly, still trying to straighten her curls.  
  
"No offense, I mean, this is your house after all, but why aren't you doing that in your room?' Harry asked with a smile at his naturally curly best friend before adding. "Why are you even doing it at all?"  
  
"Samantha locked me out." Hermione grimaced, Harry knew she was wishing she were allowed to do spells out of school, Alohomora would come in pretty handy right now. "I have to make a good appearance and a good appearance in this family doesn't consist of extremely bushy hair." Hermione replied quite seriously.  
  
"Aw, it's not bushy anymore Hermione, it's calmed down a lot. I like it curly." Harry said, reaching out and hitting an unstraightened curl lightly.  
  
"You may like it and personally I like it now too, but when they look at it, all they see is how much I look like my mother." Hermione said with venom.  
  
"But..." Harry said, thinking, "Your mum hasn't got curly hair, it's rather straight actually." Hermione stiffened and Harry noticed.  
  
"Of course, she has it straightened every so often at the salon. She's always complaining about how annoying it is." Hermione covered, rather calmly she thought, but Harry was staring at her curiously, she could see his reflection in the mirror.  
  
"Why would you care if they compared you to your Mum? You two seem to get along really well." Harry said suspiciously.  
  
"I don't mind, it just gets annoying after a while is all..." Hermione swallowed hard.  
  
"Hermione," Harry pushed on, "why does your family hate you, there has to be a reason, so don't say there isn't one." Hermione sighed frustrated. She had just finished straightening her hair about as good as it was going to get, so she unplugged it and sat it on the ground. Then, taking a deep breath she turned around to face the curious green eyes that were starring questioningly at her.  
  
"Look Harry, you know that absolutely wonderful feeling you get when someone tells you how much you look like your dad and how your eyes are exactly like your mums, because deep down you know that your parents were good people even if you never really knew them?" Hermione asked and Harry nodded, not wanting to interrupt. "Well, it's the exact opposite feeling for me." Harry raised an eyebrow, confused.  
  
"You see, my parents, aren't really my parents, they're my aunt and uncle." Hermione explained and Harry had to bite his tongue to not respond, but shock was apparent on his face. "My real parents were muggle criminals and my family thinks it was a huge mistake for my current parents to take me in. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, they believe that I will turn out exactly like my birth mum and dad." Tears were now filling her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry." Hermione said, furiously wiping at her eyes. "I mean, I haven't even thought about my real parents or my extended family in ages. It really doesn't bother me anymore and I didn't want you to feel sorry for me, you've gone through a lot worse things than I have. I'm just being stupid."  
  
Harry let out a sigh before getting out of his cozy spot on the chair and kneeling down next to Hermione, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace.  
  
"You should have told us before Hermione, we're your friends, we want to understand what you're going through. Why don't you ever let us be there for you like you're always there for us?" Harry said, exasperated as Hermione cried softly into his shoulder.  
  
"It would have been selfish of me to just cry about it to you. I mean, I love my current parents a lot and I'm lucky to have them." Hermione said softly as she pulled away from Harry. "It's stupid of me to cry over having good parents who love me while you're stuck with the Dursleys. Sometimes I'm just afraid..." Hermione started, but looked away from Harry, ashamed.  
  
"What Hermione?" Harry asked gently.  
  
"Sometimes I'm just afraid that I'll turn out exactly like my parents, my real ones..." Hermione sniffled and aggravated rubbed at her eyes.  
  
"First off Hermione, you have no reason to feel stupid. I've come to terms with my parent's death and... I've learned that there's no use in looking back, only forward. I shouldn't waste time wishing people who are dead were alive, because the people who are alive might die." Harry said wistfully, thinking of Sirius. "I've learned that I need to enjoy the friends that I have, because I never know when they might be taken from me..." Harry paused and shook his head.  
  
"So don't worry about looking selfish, because I know you're not." Harry smiled, taking Hermione's chin and softly turning her head up to look at him. "You're also not stupid." Hermione smiled slightly. "But most importantly, you're a good person. Don't let your relatives get to you Hermione; you're the best person I know."  
  
Hermione flung her arms around Harry's neck in a grateful hug. "Thank you, Harry."  
  
Harry smiled at her as she pulled away. "Anything for you Hermione." A few moments of silence passed before Harry asked, "Your real parents, are they dead?"  
  
Hermione looked taken aback for a moment or two before she answered. "I don't think so but-" But Hermione was cut off as Ron barged into the room looking refreshed with a smile on his face. He was wearing his grey school pants and sweater vest, white button up shirt and his Gryffindor tie, complete with black dress shoes. His hair was combed neatly and was parted down the middle. Harry grinned at him when he walked in.  
  
"I don't think you have to wear the entire uniform Ron." Harry said, finally letting out a laugh. "You're hair is cute though." Ron's smile faded as he reached up self-consciously and touched his hair.  
  
"Is the vest too much you think?" Ron asked, ears glowing from more than just the hot shower he had taken. Hermione smiled sweetly up at Ron as she stood up and started straightening his tie for him.  
  
"I think you look smashing." Hermione said, as red started creeping into Ron's neck. "I wouldn't change a thing." And as if that settled everything, Ron plopped back into the cozy chair he'd been in before. Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed his clothes before heading to the bathroom to change.  
  
"Your hair looks nice." Ron commented as Hermione grabbed a brush and started running it through her hair. "Actually I really like it the normal way better. Not that this way is bad, it's just different I suppose." Ron shook his head, he was confusing himself. "It does look nice though."  
  
"Thanks Ron." Hermione said with a smile. "I guess I better go make Sam let me in my room, I really need to get dressed."  
  
"You want me to go with you?" Ron asked, making a move to get up. "I mean, to make Sam let you in, not to get dressed."  
  
"No Ron, thank you for the offer though, I'm sure I'll be fine." Hermione flashed Ron one more smile before leaving the room. Ron leaned back into his chair with a sigh.  
  
"What are you doing Hermione?" Harry asked as he exited the bathroom wearing his grey slacks and white button up shirt. Hermione was jumping up and down in the hallway by her bedroom.  
  
"There's a key-" Hermione jumped, "-for my room-" Hermione jumped again, "- above my door." Hermione finished, glaring angrily at the spot above the door where she knew the key was hiding.  
  
"Oi! Ron!" Harry yelled.  
  
"What?" Came Ron's response.  
  
"Come out here." Harry yelled back, you could hear a rustling from the study.  
  
"Harry, please don't tell Ron about my family." Hermione blurted quickly and before Harry could properly respond, Ron had joined them in the hallway. "What are you bloody yelling at me for?" Ron asked in mock anger. Hermione answered him.  
  
"There's a key up there above my door." Hermione said pointing at the spot. "Could you reach it for me?" Without another word, Ron reached easily above the door and brought down a key, holding it out in front of Hermione.  
  
Hermione grabbed for it, but he moved it higher out of her reach. "Rooooon!" Hermione whined.  
  
"How about a thank you?" Ron asked with a cheeky smile. Hermione crossed her arms and muttered a "Thanks."  
  
"Aw, you can do better than that!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione rolled her eyes and then threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her level so that she could place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you soooo much for getting my key down for me!" Ron seemed more than satisfied by this thank you and he quietly handed the key to her.  
  
Hermione grinned in victory and opened her door, entered and closed the door behind her. Ron and Harry waited outside the room, listening intently for any signs of trouble. However, ten minutes went by without a sound and Hermione emerged from her room once more, dressed in a khaki skirt that came to just above her knees and a navy blue short sleeved shirt.  
  
"What did Samantha say?" Ron asked, trying not to notice how wonderful he thought she looked.  
  
"Nothing," Hermione said with a shrug. "She's not in my room. I suppose we ought to head down now and help mum set the table." With that Hermione led the way down the stairs, followed by the two boys.  
  
**A/N:** So, Harry knows about Hermione, but Ron has yet to find out. I really didn't mean for Harry to find out yet, but I started writing and it just sort of happened. Ah well. I'm so glad y'all are still reading this, y'all are the best! Thanks for reviewing and sorry for not getting to the dinner, next chapter, I swear and I'll try to make it good or else it will have all this build up for nothing. Sometimes I wonder, but, y'all would tell me if this sucked right? 


	8. Reunion Dinner

**A/N:** Okay, okay! I know it's been more than a week since I've posted, but for some reason, this chapter was really hard for me to write. Maybe cause as I was trying to write it, I kept thinking of fun ideas for later chapters and I couldn't concentrate on this one. Argh, well, I hope it turned out okay. I had a lot of ideas for this chapter, but when I'm writing I just try and go with the flow and this is what it got me. Please tell me if it's confusing, I always feel like my writing is confusing... Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews, I think reviews are like a fanfiction writer's air, it just keeps them going and if they didn't get them, they'd die! Anyway, THANKS A MILLION 'CAUSE Y'ALL ARE ONE IN A MILLION! Corney, eh?  
  
**REVIEWER CORNER:** Sorry if last chapter seemed a bit OOC, I just figure, that by the time their all about to enter seventh year the three will be able to joke around and tease each other more without worrying, I dunno, sorry! And YES Hermione does need to punch Samantha, but I'm afraid she's going to hassle Hermione a bit more before she cracks and smacks her. Haven't really got the details worked out yet, but Hermione wouldn't hit her to defend herself, it's just not what she does. I'm glad y'all are enjoying my story and that I could make someone's day! All the enthusiastic reviews are great!!  
  
**Chapter 8  
**  
Hermione walked a few steps in front of Harry and Ron. She didn't want them to see the nervousness reflecting in her eyes. Her hands were clenched at her sides; she just knew that something was going to go wrong.  
  
Hermione ran her fingers quickly through her hair. She thought she looked fine, she had a silver chain around her neck with a small 'H' hanging crookedly from it, she didn't think she looked gorgeous, but she was content in her dress casual attire and she hoped her family would be as well.  
  
Ron's opinion however, was that she looked better than gorgeous, she looked... well, better than gorgeous. Harry, though he thought both his friends looked nice, was more occupied with the house. It was huge. Ron's house was big, yes, but these houses were two entirely different types of big. Ron's was big and cozy and full of obviously used furniture and objects. Hermione's house was huge and though it was filled with objects and furniture, Harry was quite scared to touch or sit on anything in fear of breaking it or getting it dirty.  
  
Harry and Ron had only once before been to Hermione's house, but that was only for a short time before sixth year when they picked her up to take her to the Burrow. Harry smiled slightly as he looked at the polished wooden floors, perhaps Hermione's house would feel a bit more welcoming if it didn't contain a bunch of horrid old relatives.  
  
Hermione quickly ran her fingers through her hair again as they approached the kitchen door. Was it stupid of her to try and straighten her hair, it looked awful, didn't it? She thought furiously.  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts as he grabbed hold of her hand, just as she was about to run it through her hair once more. "Your hair looks wonderful, if you don't stop doing that, you're going to go bald. What are you so stressed out for?"  
  
Hermione shook her head in reply, "I'm not stressed out." And with that, she pushed the door open and was greeted with the appraising looks of her family and an understanding look from Harry. Outwardly, she put on a smile, but on the inside she was panicking. She had successfully avoided being anywhere near her aunts and uncles so far, but she couldn't avoid them any longer. Here they were and Hermione couldn't have felt more helpless.  
  
"Mum?" Hermione asked as she approached her mother, who was taking the chicken out of the oven.  
  
"Yes dear?" Tabitha Granger responded, looking curiously at her daughter and noting the forced look of cheerfulness on her face.  
  
"Do you need any help setting the table?" Hermione asked, wondering if her mum knew how horrible this whole situation was making her feel. Even though Mrs. Granger wasn't her real mother, she could read Hermione like a book. Ironic, don't you think?  
  
"Yes, thank you." Mrs. Granger said as she handed Hermione a stack of plates and gave the boys some eating utensils to set out.  
  
Soon the entire Granger family was sitting formally around the table. Samantha had come in after everyone else and when asked where she had been, she answered, "Just resting in Hermione's room." Hermione's father had made a quick 'welcome to the 20th annual Granger reunion' speech before dinner, but it didn't last long and soon everyone was eating.  
  
The family quietly talked to one another while they ate. Hermione, who was sitting in between Ron and Harry, stayed quiet though. She seemed to be thinking hard about something, or perhaps she was just patiently waiting for the inevitable. The inevitable finally came when her aunt Chelsea finally decided to speak up.  
  
"So, Ronald and Harry is it?" Chelsea asked the two boys in a sickeningly polite voice.  
  
"Yes Ma'am." They replied. Both felt more than a little out of place at the dinner table, but neither felt as unwanted as Hermione. This fact seemed to be more and more tangible as dinner progressed. "You can just call me Ron though." Ron added.  
  
"Yes, Ron," Chelsea emphasized his name, making it sound common and ugly. "How well do you enjoy that boys school you attend, it must get rather lonely there?" Ron furrowed his brow in confusion.  
  
"Not really, I have Harry and a bunch of other boys to keep me company." Ron said after he swallowed the bite of food in his mouth and he jabbed his fork in Harry's direction.  
  
"You must desire a females company though, correct? I mean, it is only natural." Chelsea asked with a wide grin plastered on her face.  
  
"A females company?" Ron muttered, he was just trying to politely eat his dinner and this lady kept asking him stupid questions. "That's what I've got Hermione for isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, of course, but you aren't able to see her during school are you?" Chelsea asked. Hermione stopped eating and stared at her aunt, she knew what she was up to.  
  
"We get to see each other on occasion." Hermione said before Ron could slip up. "Our schools are rather close and we have dances occasionally and then we get to go visit a local town together every so often."  
  
"Ron and I are just friends though, we aren't dating." Hermione said, before adding. "Harry and I aren't dating either." Chelsea looked at the three of them with smirk as she nodded. Ron furrowed his brow and began eating once more.  
  
"Your hair looks nice Hermione." Samantha said with a smirk so that only Hermione and her friends could hear. "Well, nice compared to how it usually looks anyway. I guess you inherited looks as well as that criminal personality of yours from your parents, huh?" Hermione simply concentrated on her food as Ron and Harry glared hard at the arrogant blonde.  
  
Silence overcame their side of the table as they all focused on eating. When most of the table was quiet, little six year old Bradley took this as his opportunity to speak up.  
  
"Hermione?" He asked timidly.  
  
"Yes Bradley?" Hermione asked, giving the boy an encouraging smile.  
  
"Are you pregnant?" Bradley asked curiously. Hermione dropped her fork, eyes wide and smile fading, Ron and Harry were choking on their food beside her and the entire table stopped talking.  
  
"Wha-what?" Hermione asked, he couldn't possibly have just asked her that, could he?  
  
"Mum says that when a girl has boys spend the night with her, she always ends up pregnant." Bradley explained.  
  
"Kids these days!" Bradley's mother, Susan, exclaimed with a short chuckle. "He must have overheard his father and me talking about something that happened on the news and misinterpreted it."  
  
"But Mum, you said that Hermi-" Bradley started but was cut off by his mother clasping a hand quickly over his mouth. Tabitha Granger coughed and everyone slowly began eating once more. The awkward silence was deafening. Everyone was too afraid to speak, even Bradley remained unnaturally quiet, they all knew that Bradley's mum and dad had been bad talking Hermione, but no one seemed to want to point out their lie.  
  
The soft scraping of forks against plates was all that could be heard. Ron and Harry were rather upset. Weren't Hermione's parents going to stand up for her? Why were they and Hermione acting as if they believed the load of crap that her aunt was dishing out, 'misinterpreted' that was bull.  
  
Ron angrily began shoving loads of food in his mouth in order to prevent himself from saying something. He knew it would only make Hermione upset and that was the only thing that kept him from pulling out his wand and cursing the whole lot of them.  
  
Dinner passed by silently and until Tabitha Granger began to bring out the dessert, no one seemed comfortable speaking at all. Aunt Chelsea however, was the first to once again resume a 'normal' conversation.  
  
"Thank you Tabitha dear, it looks delicious." Aunt Chelsea said with a smile too big to be sincere and a little too much emphasis on the word 'looks'. "Have I mentioned that my beautiful Samantha graduated first in her class?" Everyone at the table smiled politely at her and nodded. In actuality she had mentioned that fact numerous times to the adults already.  
  
Chelsea however, only seemed encouraged by the nods and she continued, "She was also Captain of her football team!" ((that's soccer for all you stupid Americans out there!! Oh... wait... that's me... d'oh!)) Several people replied with, 'that's great' and 'how wonderful' before Chelsea continued once more.  
  
"Hermione, do you play any sports at your school?" Chelsea asked, already knowing the answer. Hermione inwardly grimaced; she knew it was only a matter of time before someone spoke to her directly.  
  
"No, I don't, I prefer to focus on my studies." Hermione said, taking a bite of her desert. Ron, who was sitting to Hermione's left, had just finished his dessert and was reaching for seconds when he noticed Hermione's left hand clenched under the table.  
  
"Of course, that after all is the most important thing. Not everyone can do and excel in both like my Samantha can." Chelsea glowed with pride and when Hermione chanced a look at Samantha, she couldn't have looked smugger. Hermione stared once again down at her dessert.  
  
Suddenly, something warm was covering her fist and she looked down at her hand in shock. Ron's hand was comfortingly lying on top of hers. Her heart started beating rapidly and she looked up at Ron's face to discover the meaning behind this action. When she looked up at him though, she was met with the site of Ron, clumsily stuffing his face, eating utensil awkwardly clutched by his left hand. Hermione smiled softly at her best friend, he certainly wasn't ambidextrous.  
  
Harry glanced curiously over at his two best friends. He laughed at how clumsily Ron was eating with his left hand before he noticed his right was under the table, as well was Hermione's left. Harry raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he continued to eat his desert. Mrs. Granger was a fabulous cook and he decided it would be polite to tell her so.  
  
"Mrs. Granger," Harry said awkwardly, "Dinner was delicious and this chocolate stuff is great. You're a wonderful cook." Sure it wasn't the most elegant way to say it, but he got his point across and Mrs. Granger smiled brightly at his compliment.  
  
"Thank you Harry, that's very sweet of you." Mrs. Granger smiled, "However, I can't take full credit, after all Hermione taught me how to make the dessert. I usually don't make it a habit to meddle with cooking desserts, but when Hermione made this for her father and I one night; I simply fell in love with it!"  
  
Ron and Harry looked surprised at Hermione, she had never mentioned her interest in cooking before, but she avoided making eye contact with them as her cheeks began to tint a darker shade of pink.  
  
"You make it better than I do though." Hermione admitted as she took another bite. Her mother frowned at her though, "Nonsense!" Mrs. Granger remarked as her and Hermione's eyes connected and Hermione gave her a grateful smile.  
  
Chelsea looked back and forth between Hermione and Tabitha. There was an obvious connection there; one that Chelsea didn't believe existed between Samantha and herself. Jealousy taking over, she felt the need to speak up again. "Cooking is such a lovely talent to have, you know, a couple weeks ago, Samantha made us the most beautiful five course meal I have ever seen."  
  
Hermione merely smiled and this time, it wasn't just for show. Her mother put on a good face for her husbands family just as much as Hermione did, they both despised the Granger relatives but put up with them for the sake of her dad. Ron was holding her hand... well, sort of, and her mother, though discretely, stood up for her and all was right with the world, if only for a moment.  
  
This however, brought up a totally new concern. Why did Ron sort of holding her hand make her so happy? She certainly didn't fancy the tall, red headed boy, with broad shoulders, blue eyes that were deeper than the ocean itself, that endearing crooked smile, his muscular arms... whoa... what was she thinking? Her cheeks burned red.  
  
Why didn't she want Ron to know why her family despised her so? She knew how sorry Ron felt for Harry. After all, he expressed it to her all the time in letters and such. She also knew how insecure Ron felt about himself, being the youngest of so many other Weasley boys. She was supposed to be the normal one in the group. Sure she had the whole 'Muggle-born' thing, but besides that, she was stable. She was secure with who she was, being an only child, she had no one to live up to but herself. She also didn't want Ron's pitying blue eyes, so often aimed at Harry, pointed at her. She didn't want pity.  
  
No, she certainly didn't want pity. Hermione looked down at Ron's hand, still firmly situated on top of hers. Harry could offer her understanding, he knew what it was like to have a family that hated you, but comfort, he could try, but for some reason Ron's hand provided more comfort than a hug or anything from Harry ever had. Pity she didn't want, but comfort, she could live with that.  
  
**A/N:** Questions, comments, concerns?? Please let me know!! Also! I got some questions about where I'm taking this story again... Actually, I know where I'm going with it; I'm just not sure about some of the details concerning it. Do y'all know what I'm talking about?? Some of these details include, punching Samantha, a car, R/Hr relationship and Hermione's real parents. I guess I really just want to explain what I'm sortta planning on doing with someone and see if it all makes sense and connects and all that jazz. Some of it is very minor, but for some reason, I just can't make up my mind. So, if you wanna listen to my summary and give a girl some help I would appreciate it, just let me know, I won't give out too much detail cause I don't wanna ruin everything but truthfully I'm not even sure about everything yet myself, it's a surprise to me still too!! So, thanks for reading!! 


	9. A Present

**A/N:** Not a whole lot to say just thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the reviews!  
  
**To My Darling Reviewers:** Yeah, it is modeled after Kare Kano a bit, I was watching it and I could totally see Hermione in that situation, so I did it. Sam is so totally going down with in the next...uh... 3 chapters probably I'll get to it. Don't hold me to it though!! If anybody has any ideas about how I should do so, let me know, cause I've had some, but I could always use more, especially if they involve her mother going down as well... MUWAHAHAHA!  
  
**Chapter 9  
**  
Hermione sighed as she and Aunt Chelsea helped her mother clear the table. The rest of her family was currently in the living room sipping tea and idly chit chatting. Ron and Harry were sitting at the table doing their best to finish off the last piece of desert together.  
  
With Ron's hand no longer on hers, Hermione suddenly felt a wave of anger wash over her. It didn't help that her Aunt was still trying to talk to her.  
  
"It's very nice of you to help your mother clean up the table Hermione." Chelsea said with that fake smile plastered on her face, "Of course Samantha offered, but I insisted that she went up to bed, she was looking dreadfully tired." Hermione nodded, not bothering to mention that she was probably tired because she had snuck out at 12 o'clock the previous night.  
  
"When exactly is your birthday Hermione?" Chelsea continued to speak when no one else did; she acted like she was merely trying to make polite conversation. Hermione however understood that everything Chelsea said to her had an underlying meaning.  
  
"September 19th." Hermione replied shortly, waiting for her Aunt to get to her true point as Hermione rinsed a dish off and placed it in the dish washer.  
  
"I was just thinking about when your parents got married, it was that April before you were born I believe, it was such a quaint little ceremony." Chelsea replied with an irritating grin.  
  
Hermione didn't have to do the math. She already knew that she was conceived before her real parents had gotten married, but she could see Ron and Harry doing the math in their heads as they brought the last dessert dish to the sink.  
  
Hermione's face grew red with anger. Couldn't a girl have friends that were boys without people thinking they were doing stuff?? Hermione was not like her parents. She was not going to get pregnant and have a child outside of wedlock. Hermione took a deep breath in order to control herself; she wasn't going to let her Aunt get to her.  
  
The cleaning was finished and Hermione started to head back up the stairs towards the study with Ron and Harry in tow when her mother stopped her.  
  
"Hermione, wait," Tabitha said as Hermione placed a foot on the first stair, "Your father and I have something we wanted to give you, we were going to wait, but I figure you need some cheering up. Just let me get your father and we'll give it to you."  
  
Hermione nodded and waited for her mother to retrieve her father from the den. When the two came back out they lead Hermione, Harry and Ron outside in front of the garage. Hermione stared around confused; they couldn't be giving her what she thought they were, could they?  
  
"Now Hermione," Her father started, "I just want to thank you for putting up with my family, I know it's not easy for you." Hermione smiled warmly up at her father, she knew he cared about her, even if he didn't always show it. "This is an early birthday present from your mother and me."  
  
"I feel awful just sitting there while they make such horrible assumptions about you." Mrs. Granger said, taking her daughter in a warm embrace. "I'm not about to get into a 'my daughter's better than yours' argument though, I don't need to boast, I already know I have the brightest, most beautiful daughter in the world. I don't care who your parents were, you're ours and nothings going to change that." Mrs. Granger gave Hermione one more tight squeeze before releasing her. Ron looked at the two confusedly, but decided that it was best to ask questions later.  
  
With that, Mr. Granger took a small remote from his pocket and pushed a button to open the garage door.  
  
"Happy Birthday dear." Tabitha Granger said with a grin of anticipation as the garage slowly opened.  
  
Hermione nearly collapsed when she saw it. It had to be the best car she had ever seen! It was a brand new reddish orange convertible Volkswagen Beetle with a black top. Hermione beamed before throwing her arms around both her parents' necks in a crushing group hug. She kissed them both on the cheek multiple times.  
  
"Ohhhhhhh thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Hermione said, jumping up and down on the spot, grinning like mad.  
  
"I told you she'd like it!" Tabitha Granger said as she nudged her husband in the side. "I was so happy when I saw they had them in your favorite color!" Hermione's cheeks burned slightly at the comment, but it could easily have been mistaken for a blush of excitement.  
  
"Can I drive it?" Hermione asked eagerly. Her father laughed and pulled a key from his pocket and handed it to his daughter.  
  
"Of course you can, it is yours after all!" William Granger grinned at her excitement, he hadn't seen her this happy in ages.  
  
Hermione quickly hugged each of her parents once more before running towards the car. "Thanks dad! Thanks mum!"  
  
"Just be home by 9 o'clock!" William yelled after her as he looked at his watch, it was 8 o'clock now. "And don't go too far!" "Okay dad!" Hermione said over her shoulder, she had already jumped in the car and pushed the button to take the top down. Ron smiled crookedly at Hermione. He didn't understand why muggles got so excited about cars; he did however love watching Hermione be so excited about something other than taking a test. For some reason, he couldn't help but be excited himself.  
  
Harry smiled, he hadn't been able to get his drivers license, the Dursleys wouldn't let him anywhere near their car. He was happy for Hermione though and was excited to do something considered remotely normal for a muggle teenager. He, Ron and Hermione never had time to really just 'hang out' like normal friends do. So he really enjoyed every peaceful moment they had together, just being friends.  
  
"Shotgun, I get the front seat!" Harry called as he ran towards the car after Hermione.  
  
"What??" Ron exclaimed. He stared at Harry's back as he ran away. "That's not fair! You can't do that!"  
  
Harry quickly climbed into the front passenger's seat and stuck his tongue out at Ron, who was standing right beside him. "Sorry Ron," Harry said, "Muggle tradition and all, I called it!"  
  
Ron looked warily towards the back seat. "Harry, come on mate! My legs are a lot longer than yours, there gonna be squashed in the back."  
  
"Ron, Harry's right," Hermione said with a grin. "It's a muggle tradition, he did call it first."  
  
"Bloody Muggles..." Ron muttered to himself as he carefully climbed over Harry and into the back without scuffing the car or stepping on the seats.  
  
Hermione cranked the car and looked at the two boys for a moment before giving up on them figuring out why she hadn't left yet. "Seat belts you two!!" Hermione shouted at them, though she couldn't keep the grin off her face for very long.  
  
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, buckling his seat belt. Ron however, smirked.  
  
"Hermione, do you really think seat belts are gonna save us if we crash? I mean, we got magic right? Even if we weren't quick enough with our wands," Here Ron patted his pocket, "St. Mungos can fix anything, we'd be fine." Ron thought for a second then added, "Besides, if necessary, we could just apparate out of the car before anything happened."  
  
Hermione glared hard at him. "I'm glad you care so much about me Ronald. If you haven't forgotten, I'm not old enough to get my apparition license yet."  
  
Ron grinned, "Oh yeah."  
  
"Just put your seat belt on so we can go!" Harry moaned. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were still in the drive way, waiting to see them off. Ron reluctantly gave in and buckled his seat belt. Hermione smiled and they pulled out of the drive, William Granger yelling "Be Careful!" after them.  
  
"Oh, stop pouting Ron!" Hermione yelled over the music and the wind. Hermione looked into the rear view mirror to get a better look at him, he only pouted more.  
  
"How about we stop for ice cream? My treat!" Hermione yelled back to him, still glancing at him occasionally in the rear view mirror. Harry looked at Hermione in shock, he was stuffed, how could she even be thinking about food right now? Then he remembered, Hermione had eaten very little the entire meal, she spent most of her time staring down at her food, poking it around with her fork and Ron, well, Ron was always hungry.  
  
"Alright, but I get to order anything I want." Ron said, his face cracking into smile, making Hermione laugh.  
  
"It's a deal." Hermione agreed. "So, what should I name it?" She said out of no where.  
  
"Name what?" Ron asked, puzzled, looking at Hermione like she was crazy.  
  
"The car of course!" She exclaimed as if it were perfectly obvious.  
  
"Of course the car, how stupid of me, muggles don't name houses, but they do name cars. It makes perfect sense!" Ron said, throwing his arms about in an utter sarcastic manner.  
  
Hermione shook her head, "So, what should I name it?" She asked again. Harry rubbed his chin in thought.  
  
"Well, the color sort of reminds me of Ron, cause of his hair I guess," Harry said, gesturing casually towards Ron in the back seat, Hermione's cheeks tinted pink and she focused hard on the road in front of her, "And, the top is black, like my hair, so I think it's a given you name it after us."  
  
"Then I think you ought to name it 'Handsome'." Ron smiled at Harry, "Just about covers the both of us, eh?"  
  
"Don't think so." Hermione said, "No offense or anything boys, but I'm not the kind of girl that just says," here Hermione tried to sound seductive, "'Hi ya Handsome' to just anybody, not even a beloved car of mine. I will name it after you two though if you can come up with something good enough."  
  
"How bout 'Ha' for Harry and 'n' for Ron, it could be Han, like the Han Solo from Star Wars without the Solo part." Harry said, determined to have the car named after him.  
  
"Hey! You get two letters and I just get one! That's not fair!" Ron said, not even bothering to ask what Star Wars was.  
  
"Then you come up with one if you're so clever." Harry said, turning in his seat to look at him.  
  
"How 'bout..." Ron said, tilting his head in thought, "How 'bout Roarry. Not only has it got a little bit of me and Harry in it, it's got Gryffindor in it too!"  
  
"Roarry?" Harry said to himself, "Roarry, I like it, it's done, your car is named 'Roarry'." He said to Hermione with finality in his voice.  
  
"Fine, I suppose it will have to do. After all, you've already called it that, it probably won't respond to anything else now." Hermione said, flashing a smile back at Ron as she pulled into the parking lot of a local ice cream parlor and pulled into a space.  
  
"That's right, it's red and stubborn, aren't you Roarry?" Ron asked as he hopped out of the car and patted its side while he spoke.  
  
**A/N:** I know this was probably a total let down in general but mainly in the R/Hr department, but next chapter will be so full of it you'll wanna vomit!! I PROMISE!! Okay, also, sorry about the total lack of really anything happening this chapter, but I just wanted to post it so I could write the next one. I just felt like I couldn't progress until I posted what I've already written, but hopefully my next chapter will be better, I'm looking forward to writing it!  
  
THANKS FOR READING! 


	10. Ice Cream Parlor

**A/N:** You know all that R/Hr stuff I promised this chapter... well... next chapter, I swear!! I always make sure to never promise because it never usually works out, so I'm not sure why I promised last chapter, but I did and of course, it didn't work out!! I'm VERY sorry, but next chapter, I'm pretty darned sure!  
  
**Responding to Reviews**: Some very nice ideas **Kristi**! Thanks a lot! **Jbg**, about the key thing in chap 7, I didn't really think about Harry getting it actually, he probably just wanted to tease Ron and Hermione more, he's gotta have some idea bout the two, right? **Dark Ice Dragon**, yeah the name of the car still had more letters of Harry's name, but it was on Ron's terms so he felt better about it, lol. Besides, as long as you don't call him Ronald, Harry's has more letters anyway. **Koolgirl1808**, fan of VW's, eh? The reason I gave her that car is because I wanted her parents to give her something convertible for one and something that's fairly cool without it being like a super expensive spoiled brat car, ya know what I mean? Also, my friend has a beetle and she had it painted pink, it's really funny.  
  
Thanks everyone for reviewing even if I didn't comment to you, if I missed a question or something you asked, feel free to yell at me... **THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!  
  
****Chapter 10**  
  
Hermione, Ron and Harry all merrily talked and laughed as they headed towards the door to the ice cream parlor. Hermione reached out to pull the door open, "oh!" she said softly as it was pushed open from the other side instead and none other than Samantha stepped outside, holding a milkshake, with a bleached blonde boy at her side.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Hermione and friends!" Samantha said in a pleasantly surprised voice with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Hermione?" The boy said, a smile forming on his face as he said her name, in slight disbelief. Hermione gave the boy a quizzical look before recognition showed on her face.  
  
"Tommy?" Hermione asked him with a laugh. "I didn't recognize you without your red hair!" Harry looked questioningly between the pair, Samantha and Ron scowled at the boy in front of them.  
  
"It's just Tom now, I stopped going by Tommy a long time ago." Tom said as he reached up and tousled his hair nervously. "I guess I got a little tired of being called 'red' and being known only as 'that guy with red hair', it looks awful doesn't it?" Tom asked, and then he noticed Ron and his red hair and quickly added. "Not red hair! I meant, my hair, being blonde, it looks awful, huh?"  
  
Ron, still scowling at Tom whispered to Harry, "Yeah it looks awful, reminds me of a certain Slytherin, eh?" Harry chuckled quietly at Ron's remark.  
  
"Not awful," Hermione exclaimed, "just different, very different! You look good though, you've certainly grown up, I haven't seen you since you were 10!"  
  
"You've grown up too." Tom said, and he gave her a very quick and what he seemed to think was a casual glance over. "Unlike me for the better though, you-you're-you... you look good." Tom stuttered slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Samantha, who had finally gotten over her shock, grabbed Tom by his arm.  
  
"I think your hair looks very...sexy..." Samantha had paused to put emphasis on the word, but Tom didn't seem to be paying her too much attention. Hermione rolled her eyes at her cousin, if Tom had taken to hanging out with girls like Samantha; he certainly wasn't the same guy she remembered.  
  
"It was nice seeing you again Tom, maybe I'll see you around again sometime later." Hermione said as she once again started to head inside the ice cream parlor.  
  
"Bloody git." Ron muttered as he started following Hermione, only to be stopped Samantha's piercing remark.  
  
"That's not you're car, is it Hermione??" Samantha asked, pointing at the beetle and laughing. Hermione took a deep breath and turned around to face Samantha.  
  
"Yes, yes it is. It was an early birthday present and I think it's lovely." Hermione said proudly with an unwavering stare.  
  
"I guess you were lucky to even get that." Samantha said mockingly, gesturing towards the car. "I however, got a Mustang convertible when I got my license and then a SUV with all the extras when I graduated with top marks." Hermione was just about to ignore her and turn around again, but Samantha kept talking.  
  
"Aunt Tabitha and Uncle William must have felt really sorry for you to even take you in the first place. I'm sure they probably get to pay less taxes or something just by having you live with them. I can't believe they're willing to put up with you just to save some money!" Samantha laughed as Hermione shook with anger.  
  
"Are you surprised? You can't actually think they love you, I know you're not that stupid!" Samantha smirked; she had hit a sore spot. "I mean, they send you to a local all girls' school, and yet, you have to live in the school dorms, its obvious!" Hermione glared at Samantha silently, making no response, so Samantha kept going.  
  
"They're just as greedy and cold hearted as your real parents, only worse because they pretend to like you!" Samantha said harshly. Hermione couldn't help but think that maybe Samantha was partially right. Her parents really never put up too much of a fight when she spent all her holidays with the Weasleys, and even when she was home; they never really spent much time with her. Maybe they did regret their decision to take her in all this time?  
  
"Shut up!" Hermione shouted in anger, she hated feeling like this; she hated how Samantha was always able to make her feel so used, make her think that she was unwanted, lower than low. Samantha perhaps, was even worse than Malfoy she thought, only, she didn't have to see Sam quite as often. Ron, Harry and Tom looked at her in shock; she had been so quiet the whole time. A single tear was traveling slowly down her cheek. "Just shut up!" Hermione repeated, stepping furiously towards Samantha, fists clenched at her side when Samantha's milkshake suddenly spewed ((haha, SPEW)) and covered Sam from head to foot.  
  
Samantha gasped in shock, dropping her cup, everyone except for Hermione took a step back in surprise, and she wiped the sticky substance from her eyes. "You!" She shouted stepping towards Hermione. "I don't know how you did this, but you did it! I've always thought there was something weird about you!" Samantha growled in anger.  
  
"No need to get so angry now girls," Tom said, stepping between the two, with an overly cheery persona, "I'm sure this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding.  
  
Ron grumbled, "Stupid git doesn't even know what's going on and he thinks he can be the hero and solve everybody's problems, doesn't even know what he's talking about..."  
  
"Don't try and stop me Tom!" Samantha yelled at him. "You said that weird things used to happen around her in Elementary school yourself! Didn't you even tell me that the only reason you were friends with her was because she helped you with your school work. Why are you trying to protect her now?"  
  
Hermione stepped back and looked at Tom with big eyes. "Really?" she asked sadly.  
  
"No-well, I mean, yes-but only at first! I swear-once I got to know you, it wasn't like that at all! We were best friends for real-me and you-we were!" Tom hastily tried to explain, but Ron grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him into the wall.  
  
"She doesn't need your 'protection', and she doesn't need your friendship, got it?" Ron said viciously, he'd been waiting for his chance to tell this pretty boy off and now that he had it, he was going to take advantage of it.  
  
"Hermione," Tom begged, "We were best friends, I swear I would never hurt you on purpose, after I got to know you, I felt horrible about what I did, but I considered my mistake a blessing, because it allowed me to get to know how wonderful you really are." Tom spoke very quickly and Ron's grip only seemed to tighten as he spoke.  
  
"Please Hermione, I'm so, so sorry! Please believe me, there's nothing I regret more!" Tom continued to plead.  
  
"Let him go Ron." Hermione said.  
  
"What?!" Ron yelled. He couldn't believe Hermione was falling for all that crap this guy was dishing out! Angrily Ron let go of Tom, but only after shoving him hard against the wall one more time.  
  
"I'm not going to say I'm not hurt by this Tom, but it's forgiven." Hermione said with a slight smile. "You were the best and only friend I ever had in Elementary school and for that I'll never forget you." With that, Hermione turned and entered the ice cream parlor, followed shortly by Harry and reluctantly, Ron.  
  
"I can't believe you stuck up for her!" Samantha shouted, still dripping with ice cream and stickier than ever. Tom looked torn as he looked between the door and Samantha. "We're leaving now!" Samantha grabbed Tom's arm and dragged him to his car.  
  
As the three teenagers entered the ice cream shop, all their spirits seemed to lift at just the aroma of the place.  
  
"That was wicked cool Hermione!" Ron said, happy again at the prospect of eating. "She was totally covered in chocolate ice cream!" Ron laughed. "Not that that's such a bad thing, I don't think I would have minded so much, but it made her crazy!"  
  
"I bet if Tom didn't interrupt she would have blown Sam up like I did Aunt Marge!" Harry laughed at the imagery.  
  
"It's really not funny at all!" Hermione exclaimed, worried now, "What if they expel me from Hogwarts?"  
  
"You didn't do it on purpose." Ron said, trying to dismiss the idea. "When it happened to Harry, they didn't do anything to him."  
  
"Yes, Ron, but that was because they were so relieved that Sirius hadn't killed him yet that they didn't care what he did! At that point, Fudge was still completely on Harry's side." Hermione said, almost frantic, "Remember?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Ron said, looking at all the ice cream choices on the wall, still not worried.  
  
"You haven't done any magic outside of school before have you Hermione?" Harry asked. She shook her head no. "Then you have nothing to worry about, you'll just get a warning, no big deal."  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked, thankful for the ray of hope.  
  
"Really." Harry said, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Just control that temper of yours young lady and you'll be fine." He grinned.  
  
"Easier said than done," Hermione muttered, "but I will." She then looked at Ron as he focused only on the choices above him. A minute or so later, she was still staring dreamily at the tall red headed boy when he spun around to meet her gaze, with a huge grin plastered on his face and she quickly shook herself out of her trance.  
  
"I know what I want!" Ron said triumphantly and he pointed at something on the menu, Hermione's spirits immediately lifted at his excitement.  
  
"But Ron, that's huge!" Hermione said, looking at the menu.  
  
"Yes, but if I eat it all, mine, yours and Harry's ice cream will be free!" Ron said, with a grin on his face as he pointed at the line underneath his choice.  
  
"Ron, mate," Harry said, "We just ate a full dinner, desert included, you couldn't possibly eat that much ice cream right now. Normally, yes, but now? Doubtful."  
  
"That's what I want Hermione, you promised." Ron said crossing his arms and pouting rather childishly.  
  
"Fine, fine, what do you want Harry?" Hermione asked, quickly looking away from Ron, so as to avoid a blush rising at how cute he looked.  
  
Harry wasn't really planning on getting anything, but after all that ruckus outside; he thought he could use a treat. "Just a small hot fudge sundae if you don't mind." Hermione nodded and went to the counter to order as Ron and Harry grabbed a table in the corner.  
  
Hermione, with the help of Ron (she had to call for his help when the tray she was carrying almost tipped because of his ice cream) brought all the ice cream to the table and began to eat.  
  
"Is that all you got?" Ron asked Hermione in between bites of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, chocolate chips, coconut, toffee, whipped cream and other unidentifiable sweets.  
  
"That's all I'm eating isn't it?" Hermione asked as she licked her vanilla cone.  
  
"I thought you'd get something bigger too." Harry said, "You didn't eat much at dinner."  
  
Hermione looked at him, surprised that he'd noticed. "I'm just not very hungry tonight; my family literally makes me sick." She shrugged.  
  
"Sure you don't want a bite of mine?" Harry asked holding it temptingly in front of her face. "It's goooood!"  
  
Hermione laughed, "Thank you Harry, but no thanks." It was Harry's turn to shrug as he took another big bite.  
  
"Ib opfer du sum ob min bu I gotta et it al by myselb." Ron said. Hermione and Harry looked him disgustedly and he swallowed hard. "I think this thing has walnuts in it!" He said enthusiastically, Harry and Hermione raised there eyebrows at him. "I said, I'd offer you some of mine, but I've got to eat it all by myself." Then he added, pointing towards the menu once more, "It's the rules!"  
  
"OhhHHHhhhhhhHHHHHhhHHHhhhh..." Ron moaned about half an hour later in the front seat of Hermione's car.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, I can not believe you ate that entire thing!" Hermione shook her head and half laughed as she said it.  
  
"I knew you could do it the whole time mate!" Harry said from the back. He was kind enough to let Ron have the front since he could barely move as it was.  
  
"Not what you said before." Ron said painfully. "But I kept you from having to pay, huh, Hermione?"  
  
Hermione smiled. "Yes Ron, you kept me from having to pay, you're my hero." Though she had meant it in a sarcastic way, that's not really how it came out, had Ron really eaten that entire just to save her money? She thought it was sort of cute of him to do that for her. Ron grinned at her as the wind blew through his hair and they made there way back to the Granger's.  
  
**A/N:** Well, there ya go for chapter 10. Hope ya liked it okay, I myself am not entirely satisfied with everything and Tom really didn't turn out how I thought I was going to make him. I was gonna have him be an old bully or something, then I started typing and it just changed... whateva'. Thanks for readin' folks! Next Chapter, Ron and Hermione have a little private chat, I'm almost 100% positive!! 


	11. Talk with Ron

**A/N:** First of all, NO! I am certainly not dead, but if I was, wouldn't you feel really bad for having said that **valentines-hater**?? Sorry for the long wait, I had a very busy last few days and I planned on having this out on Monday but it lacked the last few touches.  
  
**To my ReviewERs:** Just so you know, I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but there is more to come in the Hermione getting back at Samantha department, something in terms or more physical retribution, but I'm not sure when, but the milkshake is NOT the end of it!! **rosepetal13** you are a great person and sorry for not responding to you before, but... I'm not sure if I can fit the whole bouncing ferret thing in... maybe I can squeeze it in somewhere just for you! And sorry I made y'all crave ice cream, but it's my fav treat, so I consider it a good thing to crave!! **Lykairo** I had originally planned on having Hogwarts in this story, but the further into it I get, the further from my original story plan I get, so, I highly doubt Hogwarts will be in my story! **WhyDoYouCare36** how can I be almost 100% positive, well, why do you care??  
  
**Chapter 11**  
  
Ron groaned and rolled over on his side. He just couldn't get to sleep. After the three had arrived back at the Granger house Ron had wanted to talk to Hermione, but he felt so sick that if he opened his mouth for too long he felt like he was going to vomit. The three simply retired to their rooms for the night.  
  
Ron turned back onto his back one more time before getting up, frustrated, he couldn't seem to get comfortable as his stomach still had a dull ache in it. He looked over at Harry who was sleeping rather peacefully and then looked at the clock that told him it was now twelve in the morning.  
  
Angry at his inability to sleep, Ron rummaged through his bag, grabbing the first sweater he found, which happened to be maroon with a large 'R' on the front, and slipped it over his head as he quietly exited the room.  
  
Pausing for a second outside of Hermione's room, he listened through the door for any sounds, but as he didn't hear any, he softly continued down the stairs.  
  
He needed to go somewhere he could think, but it seemed like every room in the house was full and being in the kitchen just made him feel even sicker, so, quickly passing through it he headed out the back door, surprised when he found it was already unlocked.  
  
Ron cautiously looked around as he stepped outside, but when he saw no one, he shrugged it off. Someone probably just forgot to lock it; it had been a hectic night. Sighing softly he looked around the darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust and searching for a place to sit.  
  
Finally he opted to lie down on a patch of grass in the center of the yard, close to a large tree. He put his hands behind his head and looked up at the clear night sky, a few scattered cloud floated gently by above him and he felt a cool breeze ruffle his hair and clothing, as well as the leaves of the tree next to him.  
  
He allowed his eyes to close as he listened to the sounds of night. Whenever he couldn't sleep at the Burrow, just listening to the natural sounds of crickets and wind always helped him relax. Ron felt sleep tugging at him and just as he was about to succumb to it, a loud CRACK followed by a soft gasp, brought him back to full awareness.  
  
Quickly Ron stood up and he cursed himself for not bringing his wand out with him. Taking a deep steadying breath Ron looked around the ground and grabbed the straightest stick he could find before yelling up at the tree, where the sound had come from.  
  
"I've got my wand out and if you don't come down, I'll have to curse you!" Ron yelled, trying to keep his voice from wavering in fear, holding his stick up at the tree, even though he had no idea where exactly the person was at. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment as there was no direct response, no movement, no anything. Silently Ron stood holding the stick, waiting for the other person to make the next move. Slowly a voice drifted down from the high branches of the tree.  
  
"...Ron...? Is that you?" Ron let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding as he recognized the voice as Hermione's.  
  
"What the blazes are you doing up in a tree at midnight for Hermione?!" Ron shouted back up to her, amusement shining in his voice. Hermione however did not respond, and Ron could hear the tree rustling as she climbed down.  
  
Finally he could see her climbing down the last few branches and as she jumped out of the tree and stumbled slightly, Ron couldn't help but laugh. She was wearing pajama pants with little unicorns, a pink t-shirt, and some trainers, there were twigs sticking in her low wildly curly ponytail.  
  
"Is something funny Mr. Weasley or were you just going to curse me with your 'wand'?" Hermione said with a grin as she plucked the stick from Ron's hand and poked him in the shoulder with it. Ron just shrugged and grinned back at Hermione.  
  
"I may wave sticks around, proclaiming that they're wands, but at least I don't climb dangerously high trees in the middle of the night! What were you doing up there anyway?" Ron asked with a snicker.  
  
"Well..." Hermione looked embarrassedly towards the ground. "The more I thought about it, the more unsure I was that I actually had made it to the top of the tree when I was younger and I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it..."  
  
"In the middle of the night?" Ron asked with a laugh as she continued to stare at the ground.  
  
"I couldn't sleep anyway... Samantha took my bed and I can't sleep very well on the floor..." Hermione said, shrugging and looking up slightly from the ground.  
  
"Figures..." Ron grumbled, "So?" He said as an afterthought with another grin creeping on his face.  
  
"So, what?" Hermione asked questioningly as she finally decided to look Ron in the eye, which turned out to be a mistake, as he asked, "Did you make it to the top of the tree?"  
  
Hermione looked sadly back at the ground, but she couldn't help the sheepish smile now taking over her face. "No, I made it half way up before a limb broke and I nearly fell down."  
  
Ron smirked at her as he sat down in the soft grass. "Don't worry," Ron said, catching her eye and giving her a wink as she sat beside him, "I won't tell Samantha."  
  
Hermione nodded appreciatively. "Why are you up?" she asked.  
  
"Stomach ache." Ron replied simply as he listened to the crickets chirping.  
  
"I got a letter from the Ministry of Magic." Hermione stated nonchalantly.  
  
"Yeah?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"I got an official warning for using magic outside of school." She said with a smile, in a voice that sounded almost proud.  
  
"Wasn't it worth it?" Ron grinned.  
  
"Most definitely satisfying." Hermione agreed.  
  
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Hermione turned to look at Ron. She absolutely adored his Weasley jumper. As she stared at it, she began to frown. Mrs. Weasley had never made her a Weasley jumper, and since she wasn't a Weasley, that really shouldn't matter, but, she couldn't help but fill with sorrow as she thought about how Harry got a Weasley jumper every year for Christmas since first year and she hadn't even gotten one.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked with concern as he caught her looking at him with a frown.  
  
"It's nothing..." Hermione mumbled looking away.  
  
"Hermione..." Ron said warily, he hated when she did that, acted like nothing was wrong when something obviously was.  
  
"How come your mum has never made me a Weasley jumper?" Hermione blurted out, it had felt sort of good to get that out, it had been bothering her for a long time, and she purposely avoided Ron's confused stare.  
  
"I dunno..." Ron answered, eyes focused on the curious girl sitting before him as she hugged her knees. "What's it matter though, there stupid really." Ron said, looking down at the sweater he was wearing.  
  
Hermione's eyes snapped to Ron, "Oh, but they're not stupid at all!" she exclaimed far too quickly. Nervously she looked away once again as Ron gave her an odd look. "It's just... Harry always gets a sweater, and your mum always sends him all kinds of things at Easter and his birthday..." Hermione struggled to express her emotions, but was having a difficult time doing so. "Your family hates me and I'll never be as good of a friend to you as Harry is." Ron gasped slightly in shock; he had no idea she felt this way.  
  
Ron placed a hand on her shoulder, slowly she turned to look him in the eye and he was horrified to see a tear sliding down her cheek.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, Hermione, no!" Ron whispered as he quickly moved into a kneeling position beside her. "My family loves you Hermione, they love you, it's just... mum feels really bad for Harry and she tries extra hard to make him feel like a part of the family... he's the only non-Weasley to ever get a Weasley sweater, I swear! If mum knew how you felt, I'm sure she'd make you one next Christmas."  
  
"No," Hermione said, shaking her head in shame, "I don't want you to tell her, I just feel so left out all the time." Hermione finally admitted something that had been bothering her for a long time, something she had been dwelling on all summer and a few more tears rolled down her face.  
  
"Left out?" Ron asked, feeling a wave of guilt crash over him, swallowing hard as a lump formed in his throat. "Hermione, we never meant to-"  
  
"It's stupid of me." Hermione interrupted, shaking her head in anger.  
  
"No it's not." Ron said, but she wasn't listening.  
  
"I'm a spoiled brat." Hermione continued.  
  
"Hermione, stop-" Ron said, ears reddening in frustration.  
  
"I'm a big stupid crybaby who has nothing better to do than-"  
  
"STOP!" Ron shouted. Huffing in anger as the girl looked at him with wide eyes. Both became silent for a few moments, giving Ron a chance to regain his composure before he spoke up once more.  
  
"I'm sorry we leave you out Hermione, because I know we do..." Ron looked at Hermione with piercing sincerity and she couldn't make herself look away. "All the conversations me and Harry have in our dorm without you, my parents inviting him and not you on family vacations. I know we can't help a lot of things that leave you out; most of it's out of our control. I mean, I can't make you a boy... and even if I could, I wouldn't want to, you're really special to me and Harry, even more so because of your differences."  
  
"Thanks..." Hermione said barely audible.  
  
"No, thank you for always being there for us Hermione, even though we're not always there for you. You've never done anything but care for me and Harry, and I reckon we've never really appreciated you like we should. You always try to help us out and tell us what's best for us and we never listen to you, even though you're always right."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, but Ron only stared at her more intently. "No, Hermione, you're always right, in third year I was so caught up about being mad at you, that I neglected you even though you were making yourself sick, but you didn't neglect me or Harry or even Hagrid, you still cared for all of us." Hermione sniffled and Ron continued. "In fourth year, when me and Harry got into a big fight, you didn't neglect either of us, you didn't choose sides, you were still there for both of us. In fifth year you were right in warning us not to go to the Ministry of Magic even though we ended up going anyway and in sixth year you were really there for Harry when he was still upset over Sirius's mysterious death."  
  
Hermione started crying once again and she buried her head in her arms. Ron sighed and pulled her into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from the side.  
  
"Please don't cry Hermione..." Ron said softly as he rubbed his hands up and down her arm. Hermione smiled into his chest. He had certainly improved from his old awkward hug which usually involved her getting patted on the top of the head. She had certainly done her part in giving Ron plenty of hugging practice over the past year and now she was thankful for all the effort she had put in.  
  
Slowly her tears subsided and she relaxed comfortably into Ron's embrace.  
  
"Thank you Ron." Hermione said lazily.  
  
"Just telling the truth Hermione." Ron said, then he slowly lowered his head and softly pressed his lips to the top of her head, directly after doing so, he laughed softly. "You've turned me into such wimp!"  
  
"They say people change for the ones they love." Hermione said without thinking and as soon as she realized what she was implying, her eyes widened and her body tensed against the boy she had more than platonic feelings for.  
  
"You know... I suppose you're right... though I'm not quite sure if change is the right word." Ron said, tightening his grip on Hermione's shoulders slightly. "You definitely bring out a side of me that no one else can, sure I can be sensitive towards other people's feelings and stuff, I'm not a total prat, but you bring something out of me that no one else can, it's not really changing me, it's just bringing something to the surface that only you can." Hermione's heart was pounding in her chest, was Ron admitting that he loved her the way she loved him?  
  
"Odd that Harry can never make me calm down when I'm really angry and bring out that soft side of me like you can... must be because you're a girl." Ron added. Hermione's heart beat immediately returned to its normal pace, Ron still had no clue! After so long he still had no clue... Hermione wasn't quite sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.  
  
"Speaking of ones we love though," Ron started seriously and Hermione's heart beat picked up once more, "Are you going to tell me what's been going on between you and your parents?" Hermione sighed as her heart once again slowed down, he was gong to give her a heart attack if he didn't quit teasing her like this whether he meant to or not.  
  
"So you're not completely clueless..." Hermione muttered under her breath.  
  
"What was that?" Ron asked, pulling away from her so that he could look at her properly.  
  
"I suppose it's time I finally told you the truth about my parents." Hermione said, looking him in the eye. "First off, they aren't my real parents; they're my aunt and uncle. My real parents, they got in trouble with the Muggle law enforcement and when they went on the run, they left me behind."  
  
"I'm so sorry Hermione..." Ron said sincerely.  
  
"Don't be, I hate my real parents. I don't remember much about them, but what I do remember isn't good." Hermione shuddered in remembrance as she spoke.  
  
"Cold?" Ron asked, his cool blue eyes looking at her with such worry that she couldn't help but nod. "Here." He said as he pulled his Weasley jumper over his head and slipped it over hers. Smiling, Hermione stuck her arms through the sleeve holes that were much to long for her shorter arms. "You can keep it, consider yourself an honorary Weasley."  
  
"Thanks Ron." Hermione said as she hugged the sweater to her, it smelled like Ron and she could still feel his warmth radiating from it.  
  
"So, you hate your real parents, that's sort of harsh isn't it?" Ron asked, leaning back on his elbows.  
  
"You would hate your parents if they had beaten you too." Hermione whispered.  
  
"They beat you... like, when you did something really bad?" Ron asked. "Not like that's an excuse..." He quickly added.  
  
"No, they beat me when I got on their nerves or when I did something that annoyed them or when they were just tired of looking at me. It was pretty much a biweekly occurrence." Hermione admitted.  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me before?" Ron asked, looking hurt by Hermione's lack of trust in him. "Does Harry know?"  
  
"Harry found out before dinner, he forced it out of me." Hermione said as she quickly looked away from Ron, she couldn't take the hurt look that was growing in his eyes. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel sorry for me... because that was a long time ago. I don't ever want you to feel sorry for me. The reason the rest my extended family hates me is because they think I'm going to turn out just like my birth parents and they think it was a mistake for my current parents to take me in."  
  
Both teenagers, deep in thought, were silent for several minutes before Ron finally decided to speak up.  
  
"Have I ever told you how much I admire you Hermione Granger?" Ron asked. Hermione, surprised at his happy tone of voice, looked at him to find a smile on his face. Unable to suppress a smile of her own, Hermione lay down in the grass.  
  
"Thanks Ron..."  
  
**A/N:** Well, there it is... I guess it wasn't soooo R/Hr, but I'm going for subtle, at least sort of... ya know? I felt like I was either really confusing, boring or stupid in this chapter so, just let me know if I was and I apologize! Thanks for reading!  
  
**_IMPORTANT NOTE:_** Just to get a general poll, if this story took a bit of an action/adventure turn, would y'all lose interest or do you want a bit of a twist and change of pace? Let me know!  
  
AndreA 


	12. Roller Skating

**A/N:** Sorry it took me so long to update, I went to Las Vegas with my sister and her husband last week and it takes me about a week to write a chapter…Thanks for all your advice, I'm still not certain if I'll take an action turn or not yet, but if I do, it wouldn't really involve death eaters, it would more involve someone from Hermione's past, wink wink. Original Mercedes Benz, oh yes, Samantha will get hers soon enough, MUWAHAHAHA!

**SORRY **if I didn't answer or comment on what most of y'all said, I just had time to quickly look over my lovely reviews again before I posted this, I really wanted to get it out as soon as I could!

**Special Thanks-** To all of you who have read this story and gone on to read some of my other, may I say, crappier stories, I really appreciate it! I think my writing has improved and I'm sure those of you that have tried to read my other stories will agree. Thanks for reading my other stories, it makes me happy!!

**Chapter 12**

Shortly after their discussion, Hermione and Ron headed back up to there separate rooms to sleep. Morning came quickly and with it came Hermione's family.

CRUNCH! Hermione's eyes burst open with full awareness as a searing pain came from her hand. She looked up, only to find Samantha standing above her.

"I'm terribly sorry, was that you hand?" Samantha asked mockingly, finally taking her foot, which happened to have a shoe on it (she was only wearing one shoe), off of her crushed hand.

Hermione glared angrily up at her cousin and moved to stand up quickly, only to feel her hair get jerked, causing her to swiftly lay her head back down. Samantha's other, bare foot, was standing on a large amount of Hermione's curly hair.

"Samantha," Hermione growled, "I'm not in the mood to deal with you today, so if you'd kindly get your dirty foot off of my hair, I'd very much appreciate it."

"I want to know how you spilled that milkshake all over me last night with out even touching it." Samantha said resolutely. Hermione shook with anger.

"Get… off… my… hair…" Hermione said slowly, battling with herself to control her rage, she couldn't afford to accidentally use magic again; it could cost her, her diploma.

"I'll get off when you tell me how you did it."

"I didn't do anything!" Hermione practically yelled. Samantha glared disbelievingly down at her and slowly she raised her shoed foot into the air only to bring it forcefully down once more on top of Hermione's hand. Hermione inhaled deeply at the shock and pain of the impact. It felt like Samantha was crushing every bone in her hand.

Forcefully Hermione pushed Samantha's knee with her other hand and all the strength she could muster. Surprised by the retaliation and the pressure Hermione had applied to the joint in the direction it wasn't supposed to bend, Samantha stumbled backwards a couple of steps and Hermione leapt to her feet as soon as she was free to do so.

"I absolutely_ hate_ you Samantha Granger and if you don't stay away from me from now on, you're going to regret it." Hermione seethed and without another word she stormed out of the room and into the study, slamming the door hard behind her as she entered. Both boys awoke with a jerk.

"Hermione…wha…?" Ron said. Both boys still had a hazy half asleep look about them. It only took Ron a second to shake himself awake though as he saw how enraged Hermione was and he jumped unhesitant to his feet, shortly followed by Harry. "What's wrong? What happened?" Ron asked some what panicked.

"I swear that girl is a certified Slytherin, muggle or not." Hermione fumed, clenching her fists and wincing as she did so. Noticing this, Ron's eyes darted over her, checking for any signs of injury, when his eyes stopped on her now heavily bruised right hand, he took it gently into his own.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ron asked softly, gazing into her eyes. Hermione's breath stopped in her chest as Ron took her hand and for some reason she couldn't stop her face from heating up. Harry curiously looked between the two before stepping in.

"Um, yeah, what happened, did Samantha do that?" he asked.

"Of course she did, she crushed it with her foot while I was sleeping the coward." Hermione said.

"That's it." Ron said, slowly letting go of Hermione's hand. "Girl or no girl, nobody hurts one my best friends and gets away with it." With that Ron charged towards the door, only to have Harry and Hermione grab an arm each in restraint.

"No Ron, she isn't worth it. Please don't do this." Hermione pleaded.

"She's right Ron; it'll only end up causing trouble for you." Harry added.

"Fine! Fine…" Ron said, turning around and pulling his arms away from his friends. "But she would deserve everything she got."

"No arguing with that mate." Harry agreed with a smile as the three of them sat on blankets now scattering the floor.

"We've got to do something about your hand though Hermione, it's probably broken, can your parents heal it?" Ron asked, looking at her hand sorrowfully.

"Muggles can't do things like that; our healing processes take weeks if not months. I'll just have mum wrap it up until school starts, and then I can have someone heal it easily." Hermione said, trying to give Ron a believable smile, when all she really wanted to do was grit her teeth in pain.

"No, I'll just heal it now; you can't go around for days with a broken hand." Ron said, as if the idea were preposterous as he reached next to his pillow and picked up his wand.

"Ron, you know you're not allowed to do magic outside of school!" Hermione reprimanded.

"Wrong Hermione, you're not allowed to do magic outside of school, me and Harry are of age!" Ron said with a grin and a flourish of his wand, Hermione glared at him. "Now, I'm not too good at healing charms, but I know I can do them better than Lockhart in second year. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Hermione said, holding out her battered hand towards Ron. He waved his wand and said an incantation.

"How's it feel?" Ron asked uncertainly as her hand still looked rather bruised. Hermione clenched and unclenched her fist.

"A little sore and bruised obviously…" Hermione started before Harry interrupted her in a mocking Lockhart tone.

"Yes… well… that can sometimes happen."

"Oh be quiet Harry," Hermione said, giving him a glare before looking back at Ron. "It's definitely not broken anymore, thanks Ron."

"You're welcome Hermione." Ron said, looking away. "You know, it's actually good that you still have the bruises, that way Samantha doesn't get any more suspicious after that milkshake thing." Ron and Harry smiled remembering the incident.

"I'm going to get dressed and then head down to breakfast; I'll meet you two down there." Hermione said as she stood up and headed out of the room.

Ron and Harry made it down to breakfast before Hermione, they were both wearing jeans, Harry had on a green t-shirt with black dragon across the chest, and Ron had on a nice blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

When Hermione finally came down in a red polo shirt and tan corduroys, the two boys were stuffing whole muffins into their mouths. Hermione gave them a look of disgust before sitting beside them and grabbing a muffin herself.

After breakfast had been consumed, Mr. Granger made an announcement. "Today, we're going to do something fun! I know how bored the children probably are, so I was thinking we could spend the entire day doing things with them! First we're going to go roller skating, and then tonight we're going to this little karaoke place for dinner!" Mr. Granger looked smiling around at all the faces that in general didn't seem too excited.

Everyone piled into cars, Hermione drove Harry and Ron in her car.

"I'm so excited!" Harry exclaimed. "I haven't gone roller skating since I was like, eight I think. Ms. Figg was sick so Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had to take me with them to Dudley's birthday party, it was terrific!"

"What's roller skating?" Ron asked, he had been wondering ever since he heard Mr. Granger mention it.

"It's wonderful!" Harry explained. "You put these shoes on that have wheels on the bottom and you, well, skate around."

"Sort of like ice skating on the ground?" Ron asked.

"Exactly!" Harry said.

Ron grinned, "I can do that, been ice skating ever since I was able to walk, I have. I guess muggles aren't as stupid as they seem, sliding down snowy hills on pieces of wood, heh." Ron looked at Hermione as he said this, he was making fun of skiing, but she remained quiet. "You alright Hermione?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Hermione said before returning to her unusual quiet, Ron however, did not push her, but instead opted to give her curious glances occasionally as he talked with Harry who was in the back seat.

They soon arrived at the skating rink and everyone piled out of their cars. Ron and Harry excitedly followed Mrs. Granger inside, followed reluctantly by Hermione. Soon Ron and Harry were strapping the skates they had rented to their feet, they had both decided upon getting roller blades as they were closest thing to ice skates.

Hermione had gotten regular skates, but instead of putting them on, she set them down underneath the bench she was sitting on and pulled out a book. Ron and Harry gave each other a look before turning it on Hermione.

"You are not going to sit there and read. We are going to go have fun skating." Ron said matter-of-factly.

"You call rolling around in a circle fun? I mean, look at everyone, they aren't even getting anywhere." Hermione said, gesturing towards the rink. "I find the whole idea rather ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? Hermione it's fun!" Ron whined.

"Well, I'm not doing it!"

Ron and Harry gave each other another look; each had a smile and a mischievous glint in their eye. Without a word being spoken, Ron grabbed Hermione's right foot at the ankle and Harry unceremoniously jammed the proper roller skate on her socked foot. Hermione fidgeted and even gave Ron a kick or two with her other foot, but Ron held fast and soon Harry had tightened the skate and tied it in an unruly knot.

As soon as the right foot was done, Ron grabbed her left with one hand but still held tight to the right with his other; he didn't much fancy getting kicked with a heavy roller skate. As soon as Harry had successfully tied the other skate they both let go and jumped away from her the best they could with skates on themselves.

Hermione glared dangerously at the two before attempting to untie the knots. After a few minutes of utter failure in even loosening the knots Hermione once again shot Ron and Harry a glare that could kill before picking up her book and opening it up.

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry wailed in unison as they slowly approached her.

"Please skate with us?" Harry asked.

"Please?" Ron added giving her the best sad puppy dog look he could manage.

"Look," Hermione said quietly, "I can't skate alright?"

"What do you mean you can't skate?" Ron asked. "It's easy."

"I mean that if I were to go out there, I would make a total fool myself."

"Why would your Da-uh-Mr. Granger suggest skating if his own daug-uh if you can't even skate." Ron said nervously, scratching the back of his neck when he finished.

"For goodness sake Ron, my parents are still my parents, just because they aren't my birth parents, it doesn't change anything." Hermione said frustrated as she closed her book and set it beside her.

"Why can't you skate Hermione?" Harry asked, disturbing the awkward silence.

"Well, when I moved in with my mum and dad, I decided then that I had to prove to them that they hadn't made a mistake by taking me in. I had to be the perfect daughter, I studied hard, made good grades, practiced the piano unceasingly so I could perform for their business associates whenever they had parties. Skating or anything else considered fun just didn't matter to me."

"_Hermione_…" Ron said slowly.

"I'm not like that anymore Ron, I've changed a lot, but that still doesn't mean that I'm going to go make a complete idiot of myself. Dad probably just wasn't thinking when he suggested skating," Hermione looked at her skates, "Dad doesn't think a lot…"

Ron and Harry sighed. "Look, you're going to skate and you're going to have some fun." Ron said before he and Harry grabbed her under the arm and hoisted her to her feet.

**A/N:** Sorry to just leave it like that, but I haven't updated in forever and if I didn't get this out now, I felt like I never would, so sorry!! I will continue from this point next time.

Name that quote, what movie is that line from??

Just a Thought: Does Hermione remind any of y'all of Tapanga (sp?) from Boy Meets World? I was watching an old episode and Finny was getting all mad and he was like "If you don't butt out and let them do it on their own, you fail." And she was all like "But I'm Tapanga, I never fail." They're both smart and when Tapanga is younger, she's got crazy hair, and they both have weird names, I can see a similarity!

New Shirt: I got a new shirt the other day from Hot Topic and it says 'Muggle' across the front of it, haha, it's freakin awesome!! Just thought you ought to know…

**EXPLANATION:** In the U.S. or at least in Georgia, you can get your real drivers license at the age of 16, I have no idea what the law is in England, but for the story, Hermione is 16 with her license and Harry and Ron are 17, I'm a believer that Hermione is a little younger than the two of them. I apologize if this doesn't fit with law or your belief, but for my story, that's what I'm sticking with.

As always, thank y'all for reading and reviewing, I wouldn't write this story without y'all and every one of them means the world to me!!


	13. Karaoke

**A/N:** Don't worry, I have full intentions of finishing this story! Yes Xixie I got the brown muggle shirt! If I ever run into someone else wearing it in Georgia, I'll wonder if it's you lol! Go South go, woohoo! Lily12791, I think it's awesome that Hot Topic is getting a whole line of Harry Potter clothes, it's freakin awesome! I really wanted that polo shirt with the Hogwarts crest on it, but I figured I'd get it next time, I really want a Huffelpuff shirt too, lol, I don't think I'd be a Griffyndor...sigh... Dark Ice Dragon, Thanks for the info. even though Hermione is 16 and driving a car, the drinking age information will come in handy, muwahahaha, in the U.S. you can't drink legally until your 21. SarahLou, thanks for asking about Las Vegas, it was fun, however, I spent nearly the whole time in the hotel babysitting my niece, haha, ah well, Las Vegas isn't really all that interesting unless you drink, gambol or go to strip clubs anyway (none of which I do!).

**ALSO:** Sorry I left you hanging last time! This chapter is extra long though, yes mainly because the lyrics take up a lot of room, but I tried okay? Here it is, hope ya like it!!

**Chapter 13**

Ron and Harry sighed. "Look, you're going to skate and you're going to have some fun." Ron said before he and Harry grabbed her under the arm and hoisted her to her feet.

"No! Stop! I can't do it!" Hermione yelled, now on her feet and struggling frantically against Ron and Harry's hold on her. Ron and Harry were just about to drag her out onto the skating rink despite her protests when Ron caught glimpse of a tear shining in her eye.

"Wait Harry, Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron said, shocked at the sight, and the two boys immediately released her arms, allowing her to once again take a seat on the bench.

Once released Hermione rubbed quickly at her eyes to remove any trace of tears from her eyes.

"We're sorry Hermione; we just wanted you to have some fun..." Harry said quickly after she gave a sniffle.

"I know... I know, it's just... I try so hard to do everything right in front of my parents... I don't like them to see me fail... I don't want them to think of me as a failure..." Hermione sighed. "I mean, look at them." She pointed out towards the skating rink where her parents were skating hand in hand and perfectly in sync with one another.

"You aren't going to be the only one falling Hermione, see?" Harry said as he suddenly shoved Ron causing him to lose his balance, ungracefully flail his arms and then slam butt first into the ground.

"...ouch ..." Ron muttered before clumsily getting to his feet, rubbing his butt in the process. Despite her best effort, Hermione's face broke into a large smile. Not only because it suddenly dawned on her how lucky she was to have not just one, but two of the best friends she could have ever hoped for but also because she just realized how handsome Ron really was. In his muggle jeans and button up shirt, he didn't look lanky or awkward, he looked tall and handsome. Then she realized that the only reason he had looked lanky before was probably because his clothes were usually always a few inches too short for him.

Ron noticed Hermione starring at him and the tips of his ears burned red. "Thanks a lot mate." He said, avoiding her gaze and punching Ron in the arm.

"Are those clothes new Ron?" Hermione blurted out, she couldn't help herself, she had to ask.

"What? Oh, yeah..." Ron said, looking down at his outfit, "When Mum found out I made Head Boy she bought me some new school robes as well as muggle clothes. Do you like them?"

"I do, they fit you nicely." Hermione said sincerely.

"Ronald Weasley, you are sooooo dreamy!" Harry said breathlessly before swooning dramatically.

"Shut it." Ron said with a glare, but he couldn't help the smile that was twitching at the corners of his mouth at Hermione's compliment.

"So, how about we give this skating thing a go?" Hermione said as she stood up shakily.

"You sure?" Ron asked, unconsciously grabbing hold of her elbow to support her. She only nodded her response and Harry and Ron grinned brightly at their curly headed friend.

"There's that Griffyndor spirit!" Harry said as they made their way slowly towards the rink. "Just to make you feel better Hermione, I'm not that good of a skater either, I mean, I haven't skated in ages. It shouldn't be too hard to make you look good."

Hermione took in a deep breath as the reached the edge of the rink. "You two sure about this, don't you think we should practice on the carpet a bit longer?"

"Now or never Hermione, let's go!" Ron said, tightening his grip on her elbow and stepping onto the slick wooden rink. Harry and Hermione followed him; Harry wobbled uncontrollably and grabbed onto Hermione for support who in turn grabbed onto Ron. Before they all knew it the three of them were on the ground in a heap on the floor laughing at their own clumsiness.

Mr. Granger saw them and couldn't pass up the opportunity to click a picture of his daughter and her friends. She was usually so timid around him even after all these years he'd taken her in. Perhaps he reminded her too much of her real father, his brother. He hated that thought and quickly pushed it out of his mind. His Hermione was just naturally timid around adults, that was it. None the less, he was happy to see her loosen up and have some fun with her friends. He knew that going skating wasn't a mistake no matter what his wife had said and this picture was evidence.

Several attempts later, the trio finally managed to get back onto their feet. Slowly they skated around the rink, all holding onto each other for support. After their fifth lap they all felt comfortable enough to skate on their own (truthfully, Hermione and Ron felt more comfortable holding on to each other, but they didn't want to admit it.).

About half an hour into their skating, they were all feeling fairly comfortable with the whole skating ordeal and Ron and Harry were haphazardly racing each other around the floor. Hermione however in her less experience kept to a slower pace and had only managed to fall twice the whole time, and when she had fallen she was swiftly pulled to her feet by Ron.

Hermione smiled when Ron and Harry sped past her once again. She was considering falling on purpose just to have Ron hold her hands and help her up when she caught a glimpse of Samantha on the other side of the rink. She hadn't seen Samantha once after their incident this morning. Had Sam possibly taken her threat seriously? Hermione highly doubted that, more likely she was just bidding her time until she could act out another one of her heinous plans.

Hermione shook her head, trying to get it off that train of thought, she wasn't going to let Samantha ruin her day, especially when it was actually beginning to look up.

Hermione's thoughts were broken by an overhead speaker, "This next skate is a couples skate. Couples must be holding hands; this next skate is a couples skate." As Hermione was just about to get off the skating floor, Ron grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Um, do you want to skate with me?" Ron asked nervously. "I mean, you don't have to, it's just, I'm certainly not holding his hand!" Ron said with small smile as he pointed at Harry, who was sitting on the bench Hermione had previously occupied, flipping through the book she had left there. "And besides, I haven't skated with you much since we got out on the floor and this seemed like the perfect opportunity..."

"Oh, I'd love to skate with you Ron." Hermione said, giving a smile of reassurance.

"No? Well that's okay... wait, what? You would?" Ron said, expression going from disappointed to delightedly nervous in seconds. Hermione laughed at his reaction and gave him an encouraging nod. Gently Ron reached down and took her hand in his.

Ron and Hermione didn't speak as the skated around the rink to the slow music that played from above. Hermione could have sworn that Harry gave Ron a thumbs up over her book as they passed close to him, but she wasn't sure. As the song ended, so did the couples skate and reluctantly the two let go of each others hands.

"Thanks." Ron said thickly, looking Hermione in the eyes.

"What are friends for?" Hermione said before she could stop herself. Immediately after doing so, she started kicking herself mentally. Here was Ron, showing her some sort of more than friends' affection and she had to go and make it seem as it were nothing more than a friend thing. She sure hated Ron for being clueless about his feelings for her and her feelings for him, but no wonder he acted so clueless when all she ever did was make them out to be nothing more than friends herself.

"Yeah... friends." Ron said, and was that a sad look she saw flash briefly across his face?

"Hey Ron, I'll race you back to this spot." Harry said, coming up to the two.

"Okay, GO!" Ron said and the two were off. Hermione sighed and went to get something to drink.

After another hour and a half or so everyone loaded back into their cars and headed towards the Karaoke place that Mr. Granger had given them directions to.

"That was really fun!" Ron exclaimed as he climbed into the back seat of Hermione's car.

"Yeah, it was." Harry agreed as he sat in the front.

"It wasn't too bad." Hermione said, smiling openly and thinking about her skate with Ron.

When they arrived at the Karaoke place, the adults all sat at a table near the bar, Hermione, Ron and Harry sat at a table near the stage. Samantha and her sister Maria also sat near the stage, but at the other side of the room, away from Hermione and her friends.

Everyone quickly ordered their food and looked expectantly at the stage, but no one made a move to get on it.

"This is Karaoke, someone's got to sing!" Harry exclaimed, no longer able to stand the silence.

"Then why don't you sing one oh courageous one?" Ron said pointedly.

"Maybe I will." Harry said as he looked around at all the empty chairs around them, there were very few people there that he didn't know, and he picked up the song list sitting in the middle of the table. "You have to sing after me though."

"Deal." Ron agreed, and as Harry was absorbed in looking through the list Ron leaned over to whisper to Hermione. "He shouldn't be too hard of an act to follow. Trust me; I've heard him singing in the shower." Hermione laughed, and Harry gave her a questioning look over the huge book of songs before continuing to read them.

"Got one!" Harry stated, slamming the book closed on the table so they couldn't see what he was going to sing. He got up from the table and headed towards a guy sitting next to the stage in a DJ type booth. He whispered a few words to the guy, the DJ nodded before rummaging through his cds and sticking one into the player.

Harry climbed the couple of stairs onto the stage and winced as the bright lights flooded his eyes in comparison to the dim lights of the audience; a microphone stand was in front of him. There were three televisions hanging above the stage, the one in the center was facing Harry and the other two were on the edges of the stage facing the small crowd. As the music started the lyrics appeared on all the screens and the music video, if there was one, appeared on only the audiences two screens.

Harry cleared his throat and then started to sing. "_I'm a desperado underneath your window. I see your silhouette. Are you my Juliet? I feel a mad connection with your body. Shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon_." Hermione burst into a fit of giggles and Ron stared at his friend in complete and utter shock, he had no idea what his friend was singing but he didn't like it very much.  
  
"I_ wanna be your lover, your only latin lover. We'll go around the world in a day. Don't say no, no. Shake it my way, oh shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon."_ Harry, only encouraged by Hermione's laughter and the faint laughter of the rest of her family from the bar area started moving around on the stage and shaking his body whenever he sang 'shake your bon-bon'.  
  
"_Hola Amiga, hola Amiga. You're my temple of desire. We'll go around the world in a day. Don't say no, no. Shake it my way, oh shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon, shake your bon-bon_." Ron shook his head in embarrassment, he didn't understand half the words coming out of his friends mouth. Soon Harry finished his song and he jumped off the stage with a grin on his face and a loud applause, mixed in was much laughter. Hermione gasped for breath as Harry sat down at their table.

"Good...job...Harry..." was all she could get out. Ron sighed, it was his turn. He picked up the book of songs that Harry had looked through, the only thing was, Ron didn't know any of these songs like Harry and Hermione did, he wasn't raised as a muggle.

"I don't know any of these!" Ron said frustrated.

"Look at the back Ron, it's got some lyrics there you can read, just pick one you like." Harry said consolingly.

"Fine..." Ron grumbled. A moment later he asked. "Hey, Hermione, what was that music you had playing in your room yesterday?"

"Um... Billy Joel." Hermione answered.

"Okay, I know what he sounds like at least, so I won't be totally off guard even if I haven't heard this particular song, I'm going to sing one of his songs." Ron took a deep breath before quietly telling the DJ his song and standing on the stage with resolve on his face. The music started out slowly and then he began to sing.

"_She can kill with a smile  
She can wound with her eyes  
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies  
And she only reveals what she wants you to see  
She hides like a child  
But she's always a woman to me_" Ron sang softly and seriously, the crowd was completely silent as he sang, but he continued on.  
  
"_She can lead you to love  
She can take you or leave you  
She can ask for the truth  
But she'll never believe you  
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free  
She steals like a thief  
But she's always a woman to me_" No one was laughing like when Harry sang, in fact no one was moving and Hermione didn't even seem to be breathing as Ron eyes seemed to be desperately glued onto the screen and anywhere but at her.  
  
"_Oh, she takes care of herself  
She can wait if she wants  
She's ahead of her time  
Oh, and she never gives out  
And she never gives in  
She just changes her mind  
  
She will promise you more  
Than the Garden of Eden  
Then she'll carelessly cut you  
And laugh while you're bleedin'  
But she'll bring out the best  
And the worst you can be  
Blame it all on yourself  
Cause she's always a woman to me  
  
She is frequently kind  
And she's suddenly cruel  
She can do as she pleases  
She's nobody's fool  
But she can't be convicted  
She's earned her degree  
And the most she will do  
Is throw shadows at you  
But she's always a woman to me_" As Ron finished he quickly stepped off the stage in silence. Ron sat back down in his seat and Hermione looked at him shocked a second before she started clapping, followed by Harry and the rest of the crowd.

"Wow Ron, that was really good." Hermione said, as she continued staring at the red haired boy in front of her as he stared at his hands.

"Yeah, it was." Harry agreed.

"Even I could tell it was a bit shaky at times." Ron said.

"Maybe," Harry said, "but it was still really good."

"Thanks..." Ron said and suddenly some loud music started blaring from the stage. The three looked up to see none other than Samantha on stage, microphone in hand. They all braced themselves as she began to sing.

"_I think I did it again  
I made you believe we're more than just friends  
Oh baby  
It might seem like a crush  
But it doesn't mean that I'm serious  
'Cause to lose all my senses  
That is just so typically me  
Oh baby, baby_" Samantha strutted back forth across the stage as she sang.

"_Oops!...I did it again  
I played with your heart, got lost in the game  
Oh baby, baby  
Oops!...You think I'm in love  
That I'm sent from above  
I'm not that innocent_"

When she was finished the trio looked at each other. "I have to admit," Hermione sighed, "She wasn't too bad, not my favorite song, but it wasn't too bad."

"I hate her." Ron said, glaring at her as she got off the stage, grinning from ear to ear.

"Your turn Hermione!" Harry said with a grin and to his surprise she just nodded, got up and went to the DJ and then stood in the middle of the stage, holding the microphone with both hands.

She started out slowly.

"_I've paid my dues_

_Time after time_" Hermione looked over at her family.

"_I've done my sentence_

_But committed no crime_" Here she gave a slight glance in Samantha's direction.

"_And bad mistakes_

_I've made a few_" She looked over at Ron and Harry and couldn't help but smile.

"_I've had my share of sand_

_Kicked in my face_

_But I've come through_" Hermione began to sing louder and stronger.

"_We are the champions - my friends_

_And we'll keep on fighting till the end_

_We are the champions_

_We are the champions_

_No time for losers_

_'Cause we are the champions of the world_!" Hermione set the microphone down slowly as she finished and walked slowly down the stairs to the sounds of applause, especially coming from her mother and father's direction.

"Why didn't you tell us Hermione?" Ron asked, open mouthed as he clapped.

"Tell you what?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Why that you can sing of course!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, well, it never really came up." Hermione admitted truthfully. It was true, her voice was quite amazing. Even if the song was short and simple, her voice rang out perfectly.

"You're way better than Samantha!" Ron shouted with glee.

"I guess that's what couple of years of voice lessons does for you, huh?" Hermione said nonchalantly.

"I suppose so..." Harry said, still staring at his friend in awe. "Why'd you choose such a short little song? You need to sing something bigger and better to totally show Samantha up."

"My parents and I use to come here before I went to Hogwarts and every time that we came my dad would ask me to sing a Queen song for him first, that's the name of his favorite band, so I always sing a Queen song for him first. It makes him happy, besides I think that song should be our anthem or something." Hermione explains.

"I guess it does pretty much sum us up." Ron admitted, "But you still have to sing another song... to show Samantha up of course." He didn't want to admit that he just liked hearing her voice.

"After we eat." Hermione conceded as the waiter brought them their food.

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! I'm really surprised so many of y'all are sticking with this and reviewing so often, but I love ya for it and thanks a lot for reading as well as reviewing! School starts back next week for me, maybe I can get another chapter in before it starts, hopefully school won't slow me up too bad though with my posting.

**13th CHAPTER! I hereby dub this my longest running fanfic up to date! (Also my most reviewed fic too) I do thusly acredit this chapter to my faithful readers/reviewers! You have made this possible!**


	14. Strawberry Daiquiris

**A/N:** I don't know why I think Hermione would be a good singer, I suppose I just really want her to be good at something other than studying, ya know? Don't remember who asked, but "We are the Champions" is by Queen, "Shake your Bon Bon" is by Ricky Martin, "She's Always a Woman to Me" by Billy Joel and "Oops I did it Again" by Britney Spears. I edited all the lyrics because they were either too long or I didn't like one of the verses, haha. I'm so glad y'all liked my last chapter so much!! Yes I WILL have more Hermione/Samantha confrontation! You better believe it! Hey Dark Ice Dragon, give me a break with those mistakes will ya?

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I wouldn't keep writing if it wasn't for y'all! And I'm sorry Chapter 13 was so unlucky, it really did take me forever to update!!

**Chapter 14**

When the food arrived, everyone began eating so intently that they didn't even notice as Samantha got up and strode over to the bar that was situated next to the parent's table.

Samantha smiled maliciously as she looked over at Hermione's table.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked.

"Three Strawberry Daiquiris, please, for that table over there." Samantha said, pointing over at the trio's table.

The bartender glanced over at their table and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "They all old enough, the girl looks too young."

"Of course they're old enough." Samantha said, taking out her I.D. card and showing the man. "They're all the same age as me."

"Hmmm" The bartender said, looking at the I.D. and then back at the table. It was a good thing for Samantha's sake that Ron and Harry looked old for their age. "Yeahâ€ okayâ€ I'll bring them over right away"

"Thank you." Samantha grinned and headed over to the adults table. She crouched in between her mother and her Aunt Tabitha, talking with them casually until she saw the drinks be delivered to Hermione's table.

When the drinks were brought, Hermione looked around questioningly to see where they had come from, right at that moment, Samantha leaned towards Tabitha Granger. "Aunt Tabitha, Hermione just waved at you."

Tabitha turned to look in her daughter's direction and catching her eye, gave her a smile and a wave. Hermione waved back and turned once more to face the boys.

"Mum must have got them for us." She told them.

"They came from the bar." Ron said with a huge grin and a glint in his eye. "There must be alcohol in them."

"Sorry Ron, but they're most likely virgin Daiquiris, no alcohol. My parents don't approve of under age drinking." Hermione said, causing Ron's smile to fade. The three of them took a sip of their drinks.

Harry scrunched his nose up as he drank it. "It's tooâ€ fruity" Harry said as he set his drink back down and pushed it toward Hermione, "You want mine Hermione?" Hermione looked at her large glass, then over at Harry's.

"I'm not sure if I can drink that much, but just leave it there just in case." Hermione said, taking another sip of her drink.

"It's okay." Ron shrugged. "It's not nearly as good as butter beer, but not too bad."

"Well," Harry said standing up, "I'm going to see if they have something else I can drink besides water or Daiquiris."

Ron and Hermione turned back to their food that was by now nearly gone.

"Hermione?" Ron said, picking at his remaining food. "Will you sing again now?" Hermione looked up at him curiously, but couldn't see his face.

"Oh, I hate singing twice in a row, it looks stupid." Hermione said, but Ron chose that moment to look up and lock eyes with her. Hermione's breath caught in her throat and she couldn't refuse. "Yeahâ€ I will" She answered, not looking away and not making a move to get up.

"Am I interrupting something?" Harry asked as he approached his friends, causing them to jump in their seats and look away from each other immediately.

"Of course not mate, what have you got there?" Ron asked, diverting the attention away from Hermione and himself. Harry was holding a glass of yellow/green liquid in each hand.

"My friend, this is Mountain Dew. It may just give butter beer some competition." Harry said, setting one glass in front of Ron and taking a large gulp out of his own glass. Ron looked disbelievingly at his glass before skeptically raising it to his lips and taking a sip.

"Whoa" Ron said before quickly downing half the glass's contents. "This stuff _is _good!" Harry and Hermione shook their heads at Ron's enthusiasm.

"Now that I have proper refreshment, I demand entertainment!" Ron said, slamming his cup on the table, causing his ice slosh around. "Sing!" Ron demanded, pointing at Hermione with his free hand. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and gave Ron a look that said 'no body demands Hermione Granger to do anything.' "Please?" Ron added, flashing her a sheepish smile, Harry chuckled in the background.

Without a word Hermione took a quick sip of her water and walked over to the DJ before taking her place once again on stage. This time she left her microphone in the stand as her arms hung at her sides.

"I can read your mind

And I know your story" Hermione looked over at Ron and Harry at this point and couldn't help but smile. They were both rolling their eyes and chuckling at the opening lines of her song.

"I see what you're going through, yeah

It's an uphill climb

And I'm feeling sorry

But I know it will come to you, yeah

Don't surrender

'cause you can win

In this thing called love

When you want it the most

There's no easy way out

When you're ready to go

And your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is" Hermione sang loud and strong, Ron and Harry stared at her in awe. Samantha was even caught off guard by how well she was singing, and glowered at her, she knew her voice was nothing compared to her cousins.

"When you question me

For a simple answer

I don't know what to say, no

But it's plain to see

If you stick together

You're gonna find the way, yeah

So don't surrender

'Cause you can win

In this thing called love

When you want it the most

There's no easy way out

When you're ready to go

And your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

That's the way it is" Hermione came to slow finish and held the last note for a few seconds before softly bring the song to a close. As soon as the music stopped, Ron and Harry jumped to there feet clapping loudly. Tabitha and William Granger got to their feet as well and clapped loudly along with everyone else. Chelsea merely brought her hands together once or twice before stopping and Samantha glared angrily at Hermione as she blushing, got off the stage and rejoined her friends.

"Not to bad?" Hermione asked nervously.

"You sang wonderfully." Harry said sincerely.

"Beautifully!" Ron added excitedly, simply glowing at Hermione as she sat next to him.

"Thanks" Hermione said in almost a whisper as she tried to hide her dark blush behind the Strawberry Daiquiris she was now drinking very quickly.

"Let's give it another go, what do you say Ron?" Harry said, eagerly.

"Follow an act like that?" Ron asked, gesturing towards Hermione who was nearing the end of her drink. "Are you crazy?"

"Come on Ron, no one else has enough guts to sing after Hermione, she's too bloody good! Let's show some Gryffindor courage and march right up there and make complete fools of ourselves! It'll be fun!" Harry said with such enthusiasm that it made Ron laugh and Hermione, who was now starting on Harry's Daiquiri, giggle.

"How about we sing together? Will you do it then?" Harry asked, taking Ron's laughter as a no.

"Only if I like the song." Ron agreed. Harry grinned brightly, grabbed Ron by his arm and pulled him over towards the DJ booth. Hermione watched as Harry said something to the DJ before he handed Ron and him some headphones. Harry smiled and nodded at the DJ while Ron had a contemplating look on his face as his foot tapped in time with the music.

After a few minutes, Harry and Ron handed the headphones back to the Deejay (haha! I just found out how to spell that, woohoo!), saying something else to him, before the two proceeded to get on stage. Ron kept his eyes glued tightly to the screen above him that showed the lyrics, but Harry looked nervously around at the crowd that seemed to have grown increasingly during Hermione's song. Taking a deep breath as the music began, Harry and Ron started to sing.

"Today is gonna be the day  
That they're gonna throw it back to you  
By now you should've somehow  
Realised what you gotta do  
I don't believe that anybody  
Feels the way I do about you now  
Backbeat the word was on the street  
That the fire in your heart is out  
I'm sure you've heard it all before  
But you never really had a doubt  
I don't believe that anybody feels  
The way I do about you now

And all the roads we have to walk are winding  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many things that I would  
Like to say to you  
but I don't know how Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one that saves me ?  
And after all  
You're my wonderwall 

Said maybe  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
You're gonna be the one that saves me"

Ron and Harry jumped off the stage as everyone applauded; Hermione however, was clapping more exuberantly than anyone. Ron and Harry looked at her curiously before noticing that all three Strawberry Daiquiris were now completely gone.

"Hermione," Ron said with a raised eyebrows as he finished off his Mt. Dew, "Are you sure those drinks didn't have any alcohol in them?"

Hermione grinned brightly at him. "I'm quite certain they did not have any alcohol in them Ronald, don't be silly." Hermione giggled before jumping up so quickly that she knocked her chair over. "I want to sing again."

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, reaching out to grab her arm, but before he could stop her, she was already on stage and beaming at the large audience. Ron looked over at Harry seriously. "Those drinks had alcohol in them and if she makes a fool of herself, she's going to blame us."

A loud upbeat melody started playing and Ron and Harry looked anxiously up at the stage.

"I got chills.  
They're multiplyin'.  
And I'm losin' control.  
'Cause the power  
You're suplyin',  
It's electrifyin'!" Unlike the last songs Hermione sang, where she stood still on the stage, this time Hermione was holding the microphone with one hand so she could stroll casually around on the stage and gesture where appropriate.

"You better shape up,  
'cause I need a man  
And my heart is set on you." Hermione pointed a finger at Ron, before bringing her hand to her heart and back down in Ron's direction. Ron's eye's were so wide, Harry could of swore they were about to fall out of his head as Hermione started to slowly descend the stage stairs.

"You better shape up;  
You better understand  
To my heart I must be true."  
  
(Nothin' left, nothin' left for me to do.)  
  
"You're the one that I want.  
(you are the one i want), o,o, oo, honey.  
The one that I want.  
(you are the one i want), o,o,oo, honey.  
The one that I want  
You, o,o, oo  
Are what I need.  
Oh, yes indeed." By now Hermione had reached Harry and Ron's table.  
  
"If you're filled  
With affection  
You're to shy to convey,  
Meditate in my direction.  
Feel your way." At this point, Hermione made a gesture that caused Mrs. Granger to stand up from her seat and exclaim 'Hermione Jane Granger!' in distaste and made Ron's ears and neck turn a blazing shade of red.  
  
"You're the one that I want.  
You, o,o, oo, honey.  
The one that I want.  
You, o,o,oo, honey.  
The one that I want  
You, oo, oo  
Are what I need.  
Oh, yes indeed."

Just as the song came to an end, Hermione was hanging on Ron and was moments away from falling into his lap as Tabitha Granger reached them and yanked Hermione quite roughly away from him. Ron, who had seemed to stop breathing, looked thankful.

"What on earth do you think you're doing? I thought your father and I raised you to have more respect in yourself than that." Tabitha Granger said in a dangerously low voice.

"Oh relax! I was just having some fun Mum!" Hermione said with a giggle as her Mum was holding her tightly by the shoulders and forcing Hermione to look at her.

"Fun? Fun?! You call shaming your father and me, fun?" Mrs. Granger hissed. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed we are of you right now? You were traipsing around the stage and throwing yourself all over Ron here like some sort of floozy and right in front of your father's family too!" Hermione stopped mid giggle and stared wide eyed at her mother.

"You'reâ€ you're ashamed of me?" Hermione said shakily, staring unblinkingly at her mother.

"More than I ever have been." Tabitha Granger said more harshly than she meant to. Ron and Harry watched the conversation with baited breath. At that moment, Ron was certain that Hermione got her anger flashes from her mother, even if she wasn't her real one. Ron knew for a fact that Mrs. Granger was going to regret every word she had just said soon, like Hermione usually did when ever the two of them got into a fight, but right now, her face shown with anger.

"I think- I think I'm going to be sick" Hermione said with tears in her eyes, holding a hand to her mouth before pulling away from her mother and running through a door which must have led to the bathroom.

Ron and Harry looked warily at Mrs. Granger before Ron decided to speak up. "I think she's drunk Mrs. Granger, it wasn't her fault, there must have been alcohol in those drinks you sent us."

"Drinks?" Mrs. Granger said, finally pulling her now softening eyes away from the door Hermione went through. "I didn't send you three any drinks."

"Samantha!" Ron said, fuming as he stood up abruptly, slamming his fists into the table. "Samantha sent those drinks! She wanted Hermione to make a fool of herself; she's had it out for her since she got here!"

"It's true Mrs. Granger, Hermione wasn't acting herself." Harry said, staring up at Mrs. Granger, who now also seemed to have tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Granger said, rushing off towards the bathroom. "What have I done?"

**A/N:** "Today" by Oasis, they're British, so I said, why not? "And That's the way it is" by Celine Dion who isn't my fav. Singer, but she has a good strong voice that I think Hermione's would be similar to. Last but not least, "You're the one that I want" is from Grease, excellent musical. Um, that's the end of my light-heartedness for now, next chapter will be tre angsty. At least I think so. I'll try to get it up sooner, but school is being pretty harsh right now.

Sorry for taking so long to post and thanks for reading!!


	15. Apparation

A/N: Wow, it's really been a long time, huh? I guess all I can say is I'm sorry. I've been really busy with school and I ought to be writing my 8 page term paper that's do in a week right now, but I don't really feel like it, I'm a bit of a procrastinator! Also I've been reading A Series of Unfortunate Events, it's very good! No where near as good as Harry Potter of course, but it's still entertaining if not a little repetitive and frustrating, I'm on book six right now.

LONG AWAITED ANSWERS TO LONG AGO QUESTIONS: Skyphoenix, I guess there's nothing wrong with calling it soccer, I know I do, I was just poking fun at my Americanness. Original Mercedes Benz- OO wow... you totally cussed me out... I'm sorry, I guess I deserve it... I'll try really hard to not wait so long next time... OO... I'm gonna feel really bad if you don't like what I'm doing with the story... Dark Ice Dragon, Thanks for pointing out my faults, if it wasn't for you, I might get a big head and none of us want that!

Mrs. Granger pulled roughly on the bathroom door handle, only to find that it was locked.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Granger called out as she knocked on the door. "Are you okay sweetie? I didn't mean what I said before; I've never meant anything less in my whole life!" Mrs. Granger hammered hard on the door. "Please open the door."

Samantha grinned as she heard the muffled voice of Tabitha Granger through the thick bathroom door. She had quickly followed Hermione in and locked the door behind them both.

"Quite a show Hermione, quite a show!" Samantha said softly, so that Mrs. Granger would not overhear. Hermione was sitting next to the toilet, having just rid her stomach of that night's dinner. "I think you could make a fine living being an exotic dancer."

Hermione slowly got to her feet and ignoring Samantha, went to the sink to rinse her mouth out and splash her face with some cold water.

"Ron really seemed to enjoy it." Samantha said with a sly smile as Hermione briefly paused at the mention of Ron. "I don't know what you see in him really... Yes, he is sort of cute, but did you see what he was hearing yesterday? His pants barely reached his shins! It looked ridic-"

Samantha was no longer able to finish what she was saying as a fist, Hermione's fist to be exact, connected with Sam's jaw and sent her reeling to the floor.

Hermione was fuming, as her hands were clenched at her side, "Never, and I mean, never, speak about Ron again. I don't want to hear his name come out of that vile mouth of yours ever again." With a loud 'CRACK' Hermione was gone and Samantha lay speechless on the floor, staring at where Hermione had just been.

Mrs. Granger was thrown unceremoniously to the floor as Samantha flung the bathroom door open. Samantha's eyes were wide, and a bruise was already forming on her jaw when she spotted Mrs. Granger on the ground.

"...Hermione... vanished..." Samantha managed to say in a very unnatural and somewhat squeaky voice. By this point, the entire Granger family, plus Harry and Ron had rushed over to Tabitha Granger, who was now standing thanks to her husband, and Sam.

"She wouldn't have...?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Apparated." Harry answered so that only Ron could hear him, nodding his head in agreement.

"Would she have?" Ron asked, looking at Harry for some reason to doubt.

"I'm afraid so Ron, she was in a right state, I wouldn't put it past her."

"She's not of age, she doesn't even know how to apparate!" Ron exclaimed, waiting for Harry to confirm his assumption.

"Since when has Hermione not known how to do something Ron, even if she's not allowed to do it?"

Ron threw his hands up in frustration. "I know Harry, I know! Of course Hermione can apparate, but how well can she really do it in her condition? What if she's out there splinched some where? What if she doesn't know where she's apparated to and she's lost?!"

"Calm down mate, freaking out isn't going to help anything..." Harry started to say, but he just noticed that Samantha's face was losing some of its shock and she was once again speaking in clear sentences.

"I knew there was something weird about that girl." She was saying. "She's never fit in with this family, she's not normal! She's got some sort of evil powers or something, she has to, she just disappeared right in front of me! I saw it!"

A few of the women, including Tabitha Granger, left to search the bathroom. After a thorough search however, they found it empty and returned to where the rest of the family was gathered.

"We have something... that we've neglected to tell you all... but we can't avoid speaking on it any longer." Hermione's father, William Granger began to say.

"What are you talking about William?" Bernard, William's brother, questioned.

"It's best if we don't speak of it here though, let's all go back to my house and I'll explain things there. Perhaps Hermione will be waiting for us there." William said, placing a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

"I knew there was something wrong with that girl." Samantha said triumphantly.

"I don't understand!" Bernard burst out. "What do you mean Hermione could be at your house, why isn't she here, she was here a moment a go!"

"That's what I'll have to explain." Mr. Granger said and without another word, he paid the food bill and headed towards the parking lot.

"So, she did that disappearing thing that witches and wizards can do, right boys?" Mr. Granger asked as soon as he was alone with Ron and Harry in Hermione's car and driving towards the house.

"We believe so, it's called apparation." Ron answered. "Oh, I hope she really is at your house."

"If not, you boys and Tabitha can go search for her while I explain things to the family..." William Granger ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, mussing it slightly. "They aren't going to take the news that she's a witch too easily... they're hard enough on her as it is..."

Ron and Harry stared at Mr. Granger as he seemed to be reaching some sort of conclusion in his head, but they didn't dare speak another word as the car filled up with silence.

It seemed like an eternity before Roarry pulled into the Granger's drive way. Mrs. Granger had reached the house before them and she came running out to meet them as they got out of the car.

"She's not here!" Tabitha said in an exasperated voice and Ron and Harry could see that her eyes were beginning to mist over.

"Here," William said, handing the keys to his wife, "take Hermione's car and the boys and see if you can find her while I explain things to the family."

"How do you think they'll take the news?" Tabitha asked worriedly.

"I truthfully don't care. If they can't accept the fact that my daughter is a witch, they can leave tonight." Mr. Granger said with finality. Mrs. Granger smiled at her husband before giving him a quick kiss and jumping into the fiery red car. Ron and Harry quickly jumped in after her and with a roar of the engine, they were gone.

MEANWHILE...

Hermione staggered slightly as she reappeared with a crack. She had never actually apparated before, but she had studied her apparation manual thoroughly and felt extremely confident in her abilities.

How ever well she did manage to apparate, her head was still foggy from her alcohol in take and she still wasn't thinking of the many consequences that could derive from illegally apparating across town. The one consequence that did actually occur, however, would most likely not have crossed her mind even if she were not intoxicated.

Hermione had apparated to a small park located just down her street. It was never a crowded place, even when she was younger, only a couple of other children ever managed to show up during the peak playground hours.

Frustrated, Hermione sat down on one of the two swings. Oh how she hated Samantha. As Hermione sat there fuming, the sound of breaking twigs drew her thoughts away from her cousin and towards her situation at hand.

Standing from her swing slowly and what she hoped was casually, she turned around. Her eyes did not however land on a bunny rabbit or perhaps a stray dog as she had hoped, but instead they met with two dark figures as they emerged from the night and into the light of a nearby street lamp.

"No..." Hermione muttered under her breath as she took a step backwards.

"You don't seem happy to see us." One of the figures, a very large and intimidating man, said. "It must have been what, 12 or 13 years since we've seen you in person last."

"I don't suppose we would have recognized you if we hadn't of had this photograph to go by, though you do look an awful like me when I was your age." The other figure, a woman said.

Hermione froze in fear as the two figures came to stand right in front of her. "What... what do you want?" she managed to choke out.

"What kind of greeting is that? I'd of thought that you'd have missed us after all of these years." The woman said with a sneer. "After all, we were such kind parents to you for the first four years of your life."

"You're not my parents." Hermione said with such conviction that she almost believed it herself. "What do you want?" she repeated.

"Yes, yes, I suppose we ought to get down to business, after all, that is what this is about." the man, Hermione's birth father stated matter-of-factly. "You see, you actually have a very high price on your head, and you being our daughter, we simply couldn't allow anyone else to claim the bounty."

"We usually don't go in for kidnapping," her birth mother explained, "but the price and the circumstances were just too good for us to pass up."

"Why... why would someone offer a bounty for... for me?" Hermione stuttered out, she was genuinely becoming frightened now. Who could possibly want her?

"Don't try and make yourself seem special," the woman spat, "because you're not, several people have bounties on their heads these days."

"They want you alive," The man said gruffly as he grabbed Hermione roughly by her upper arm, "but they didn't say what kind of condition they wanted you in." And before Hermione could make a sound the man brought a heavy object down on the back of her head, knocking her out cold.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Original Mercedes Benz for forcing me to post and for reminding to never post out my home address so crazy people can't beat me up... OO

I apologize again for waiting so long, but I will NOT abandon this story, especially not as long as people are interested in it. PLEASE tell me what you think! I need your advice a great deal and it will help me review faster!

I APOLOGIZE to Dark Ice Dragon who I'm sure will find many mistakes in this chapter as I wrote the entire thing in one day and didn't read through it when I finished so I made absolutely no corrections!

PyroAndrea

P.S. I've also been writing a couple other stories on the side, one of which I'm very fond of, but I won't post until it's completely finished to save myself the torment of being hunted down and killed...


	16. Tricycle Chains

A/N: Look, I'm sorry! I know I can't say that enough, but I really am sorry it took me so long to update! However, I did promise that I wouldn't abandon this story and as long as it takes me to update, I will NOT abandon it. I hate when authors do that! Especially when they have so many faithful readers! It's been done to me toooooo many times and I refuse to do it to y'all as long as you are still reading it!

priscilla penn- yeah, well, I don't think I put a disclaimer to harry potter either… I figure, none of this is mine or it wouldn't be called fanfiction, right?

Original Mercedes Benz:gulp: Now I know why they only allow one review per chapter… is their a fanfiction author protection program I can sign up for? Anyone?

Dark Ice Dragon- I'm certain there are plenty of mistakes in here for you! And actually, I've never had a beta before, but I would be happy to let you do it for me! Still up for the job?

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!

Chapter 16

A throbbing pain pulsated in her head. It started from the back and then shot through until it reached her eyes, and then one second of painless relief would pass before it would throb again.

This had been happening for minutes now, but Hermione still couldn't find the power to open her eyes, or maybe she just didn't want to. The pain let her know that her birth parents really had taken her, but as long as she didn't open her eyes, she could pretend that her throbbing headache was merely from the amount of alcohol she had consumed thanks to Samantha. Those circumstances, though not good, were not nearly as bad as they really were.

Several more minutes passed by before she decided that she could not stay in this some what tormented ignorance forever and she finally found the courage to open her eyes. Her head seared in pain for one dreadful moment before determinedly resuming its dull pulsating ache and as this happened, she briefly wondered if this is what Harry's head felt like every time he sensed Voldemort.

Looking around as slowly as possible, so as not to cause her any unnecessary pain, Hermione realized that she might as well have kept her eyes closed, because she was surrounded by nothing but pitch blackness.

Hermione groaned half heartedly as she thought about the situation she was in. Who could possibly be willing to pay money for her capture? Certainly no one she could think of in the muggle world. That could only mean one thing. The people that wanted her were wizards and most likely death eaters. She was sure that Voldemort would give the death eater that brought her in a very big reward. The real question here was did her birth parents know they were associating with wizards? Did they know that the wizarding world existed? And why would death eaters even risk being seen with muggles? Isn't that what Voldemort hated the most?

She closed her eyes in frustration, being careful to do it as slowly as possible. It hurt too much to think, there were too many questions and not enough answers. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she thought if I could just sit down. Unfortunately for her however, that was quite impossible. Her wrists were bound tightly with what felt like a course rope and seemed to be tied to something high above her head. The rope was just long enough to allow her to be in a crouching position, but with great strain to her arms, and since she had just awakened not long before, she was still resting her arms from the strain and allowing her legs to take on some of the burden.

Hermione leaned back against the wall behind her, being careful not to touch her head against. As soon as she found herself in a somewhat comfortable position, considering the situation, she heard a creaking sound from above and without hesitation she opened her eyes. Above her and to the left she saw a thin line of light grow until she could see that her father was opening a door. When the door was all the way opened he casually flicked on a light switch that bleared Hermione's unadjusted eyes. After a few small blinks though, she was able to see a few exposed light bulbs dangling from wires and her father grinning at the top of a rickety looking wooden staircase.

"She's awake!" He called out the open door far too loudly in Hermione's opinion. "I'm going to welcome her home properly." He said as he closed the door behind him and descended the staircase to where she stood, his face resuming its usual harsh lines.

"Welcome me home?" Hermione repeated in a voice that revealed the pain and anger that her old memories of "home" involved. "I suppose you missed having someone to knock around, huh?" Mr. Granger pulled his hand back and hit her with the back of it in the face so quickly that Hermione stood shocked for several long seconds after contact; face still turned in the direction it had been forced.

"You know," Mr. Granger started as Hermione slowly turned back to face him, anger burning in her eyes. "I almost forgot what a smart mouth you had."

"I had?" Hermione said, speaking up once more. "I was only four! How smart can a four year olds mouth be!" Without hesitation Mr. Granger raised his hand and struck her hard on the side of the face once more, but this time she had been expecting the blow and turned to meet his eyes as quickly as possible.

"You know," Mr. Granger started again, acting as if hadn't just backhanded his child in the face as hard as he could. "I just now realized how much I missed having you around. It's nice to have something to take your frustrations out on. Really helps relieve the stress."

Hermione stared angrily into his cold eyes. "Glad to know I was missed."

"Almost makes me want to go work on your bike again." Mr. Granger said, acting as if he didn't hear a word she had just said.

Hermione's breath stopped in her chest and everything around her froze. She couldn't feel the pain in her head or on her face or her wrists or arms or anything. All she felt was pain of the memory her father was forcing her to remember.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Hermione was once again locked outdoors. Today however, she didn't mind, it was sunny and there was a cool wind blowing, outside was a good place to be. Jumping on her tricycle she rode around the yard, laughing and enjoying the weather. The longer she rode, the braver she felt and the faster she went, before long she was going so fast that her foot slipped off the petal, knocking the bike chain on the way down. She lost control of the bike and the two of them tipped off and fell to the ground.

Hermione breathed heavily as she hit the ground, she was shocked, but not hurt. After making sure all her parts were still functional she slowly removed herself from the ground. She moved to her over turned tricycle and set it up straight, but as she remounted the bike and began to petal, it didn't go anywhere. For hours she tried to set into motion and return the bike to working order, but she simply didn't understand what was wrong with it.

As the sun began to set, her father yelled for her to come in and resolutely little Hermione wheeled the tricycle to the back door.

"Um Father… my… bike… broke…" She mumbled, not looking him in the eyes, but if she did, she would have seen his eyebrows crease in anger.

"You mean you broke it." He growled, bending down to look at it. "That's what we get for allowing you to actually have something nice. See, you knocked the chain off and now it's jammed between the wheel." Mr. Granger pulled forcefully on the chain. "Your mother and I should have never gotten that for you."

"But… Grandpa…" Hermione started, but her fathers piercing glare caught her eyes.

"Grandpa what? Say it, now." Mr. Granger's fist tightened around the bicycle chain.

"Grandpa bought it for me." Hermione said in a meek voice, looking down at her shoes.

With one fierce jerk the chain snapped where it was jammed and came off in one long chain, clutched in the hand of Mr. Granger.

"But who allowed you to play on that bike?" Mr. Granger asked, raising the chain in the air and bringing it down on the little girl's shoulder. Hermione sunk to her knees in anguish, covering her face with her arms and crying.

"Answer me!" Mr. Granger yelled ferociously as he raised the chain again and brought it down with a sickening thud onto the girl's back.

"You did…" Hermione cried frantically, "You did!"

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut at the pain of the memory. It was the worst beating she ever remembered getting. If her mother hadn't of stopped him, she would probably of been killed. Of course, her mother only stopped him because of her fear of prison.

Hermione determinedly opened her eyes and stared at the man who had once caused her so much pain. "I'm not afraid of you, not anymore." Her birth father looked almost shocked at the comment, but he quickly wiped the look off his face as he strolled towards a wooden bench that was in one of the corners.

"Not afraid?" Mr. Granger repeated as he picked up something and held it fondly in his hands. "You weren't afraid as a child either, not until I taught you to be. Perhaps you just need a reminder of how afraid you were."

Mr. Granger turned and began to walk towards Hermione, holding a long metal chain in his grasp. She took a deep breath to steel herself for what was about to come. "I kept it, just in case I ever needed to remind you of that fear, and I see that I was right in doing so."

Just as he approached her the door creaked open once more. Mrs. Granger entered holding some clothes. When she saw Mr. Granger holding the chain she sighed.

"Let me at least bandage her head first and don't get as carried away this time, we need her alive."

"I know…" Mr. Granger sighed, gripping the chain even tighter.

Mrs. Granger grabbed Hermione's shoulder and roughly turned her so that her back was facing Mrs. Granger. Roughly she rubbed a clothe against the back of Hermione's head, causing her to wince, but feeling free to do so since she was facing the wall and they could not see her.

"You know that when we get that money we'll be able to get out of the country and live somewhere we won't be recognized or be sought after by the police. It's crucial that the girl lives." Mrs. Granger said.

"Don't lecture me, I know! This _was _my idea after all." Mr. Granger yelled anxiously.

"Just don't kill her." Mrs. Granger reiterated before tying a bandage around Hermione's head and going back up the stairs, closing the door behind her.

"I'm not afraid of you." Hermione said once more, in an unshaken voice as she faced the wall.

"We'll see about that." Mr. Granger said clutching the chain eagerly, and deep down, even Hermione was doubtful.

MEANWHILE…

"It's been two hours!" Ron yelled slamming his fists on a nearby slide. "She's not here! She's not anywhere she should be!"

"This is the last place that I can think of that she'd be…" Tabitha Granger said dejectedly as she sunk into a swing and allowed a tear to roll down her cheek.

"My scar hasn't hurt all night." Harry said, trying to force a smile on his face. "That means that Voldemort isn't involved, that's good news right?"

Ron glared at Harry before clinching his fists to his side. "I don't care if my parents are mad that we left without their permission and that we're not supposed to apparate around muggles, this is an emergency. I'm going to tell dad what happened, he'll know what to do." And before Harry could say anything, he was gone.

"Maybe… maybe she's already home…" Harry tried to say encouragingly. "We should go back and check…"


	17. Death

**A/N:** I know! Please don't be angry! I know it took me for freaking ever to get this chapter out! I said I would finish this story though and I darn plan on it! Thanks to all of you who are still reading this! I really appreciate your steadfast…ness? Anyway thanks a lot!

_**Chapter 17**_

"Now maybe next time you'll think twice before you try and talk back to your father." Mr. Granger said as pulled a knife from his belt and roughly cut the rope that tied Hermione to a hook on the wall.

Hermione's legs collapsed underneath her, giving way to the added weight and she fell to the ground immediately. She hit the cold cement floor hard and the impact reverberated through her whole body causing her to shudder in pain. Mr. Granger smiled as she fell, her wrists still tied together.

Hermione breathed rapidly as she lay on the ground, her back felt wet, and her flesh burned like it was on fire. The pain was searing. She hadn't felt pain like this in such a long time, not since she was a child. Tears stained Hermione's face but she didn't bother trying to hide them from the man that helped conceive her. She had kept herself from screaming out and that was good enough for her.

Mr. Granger put the knife back in his belt and started to head back up the rickety staircase, but Hermione couldn't let him get away with thinking he was her father, she would never consider him her father and she wouldn't allow him to either. She inhaled deeply and tried to speak, but her voice only came out as a strangled groan. Mr. Granger spun around at the sound and in a barely audible voice Hermione was able to choke out, "you… are _not_… my father."

Mr. Granger stared at her in shock. The audacity! Kids these days had no respect for authority. He pulled his foot back and roughly kicked her. Hermione gasped as his boot connected with her ribs. He knocked the wind out of her, she couldn't breath and she was almost certain that he had broken one if not several of her ribs.

"Stupid, stupid girl!" Mr. Granger hissed raising the bike chain that he grasped so hard it left an imprint in his hand. "You never did know when to shut up!" He swung the chain down as hard as he could and it sliced across her face.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut as she saw the chain rise into the air and when it connected with her face she couldn't keep the scream of pain from breaking out of her chest. The chain smashed across her face and wherever it touched her skin burst open. Blood flowed freely from the wound. The lacerations throbbed and she could feel it like a line etched down her face. It started just above her left eye, ran across her nose and cheek to just under her right ear. She was so happy that it hadn't hit her eye that she didn't quite mind that her nose may or may not have been broken.

Lost in her world of pain Hermione's eyes were shut tightly. The only thing she saw as Mr. Granger's boot connected with her head was a burst of light and then nothing but darkness and suddenly she felt no more pain.

Ron apparated to the middle of his kitchen, all formalities completely forgotten.

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley yelped putting her hand to her heart as Ron appeared right in front of her. Moments later Harry came running through the kitchen door, having apparated into the living room. "What on-" Mrs. Weasley began, but Ron quickly cut her off.

"I need to talk to you and dad right now!" Ron said in a demanding tone.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley do not give me that tone young man!" Mrs. Weasley said sternly.

"Mum, I-I'm sorry, but, this-this is an emergency, Hermione's gone, she's been missing for hours, she could be hurt, dead! Something is wrong here and we need to find her, we've got to find her!" Ron said, his demeanor changing from demanding to pleading in a flash.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley yelled heading towards the kitchen door. "ARTHUR!" Mr. Weasley came quickly down the stairs and stepped hesitantly into the kitchen. "Yes Molly dear?" He asked, apprehension shining on his face. Immediately upon entering the kitchen he saw Ron and Harry and he turned a confused glance at them, "Boys, what-"

"No time for questions dad." Ron said, hurrying to stand in front of his parents, speaking quickly, Harry moving to stand behind him. "Harry and I were at this muggle place with Hermione and her family. To make a long story short, her family, but not her parents, are horrible to her, she got sick and went to the bathroom and her cousin followed her and when her cousin came out she said that Hermione disappeared."

"Disappeared…apparated, Hermione apparated? Hermione's not of age yet is she? And she did it in front of uninformed muggles?" Mr. Weasley asked, confused.

"No, but she wasn't thinking clearly at the time and she's gone, we've looked everywhere she might have gone and she isn't anywhere to be found!" Ron said exasperated, didn't his father understand that under age apparation was the least of their worries?

"Well, since she's underage, she probably just missed her target and got lost." Mr. Weasley suggested. "Don't worry boys, I'll go into the ministry and have her apparation tracked right away."

Ron shifted nervously from foot to foot, not quite happy with his father's response. Harry put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Mr. Weasley's probably right Ron. Hermione probably just missed her mark in her condition. They'll be able to track her down in no time."

"Sure." Ron said, not satisfied, turning away from his father, "Owl me when you get any information, I'm going to check and see if she made it back to her house yet." And without another word Ron apparated back to the Granger residence.

"Oh dear." Mrs. Weasley said sadly, looking at the spot where Ron just stood before turning back to her dishes.

"I guess I can go to the Ministry with you Mr. Weasley to help give you information on the muggle location that Hermione apparated from." Mr. Weasley looked away from where his son had just been standing. "Good idea Harry, let's go" with that both Harry and Mr. Weasley apparated to the Ministry.

Hermione awoke from her unconscious state with a throbbing head, sticky face and a burning back. Not to mention the voices hovering over her were entirely too loud.

"I told you _not _to kill her!" One of the voices was saying.

"You _know_ I can't control myself when I lose my temper!" the other voice yelled back.

"How much longer do we have until they arrive?" The first voice, her birth mother's asked.

"I don't know, about ten minutes, maybe fifteen." Responded the gruff voice of her birth father.

Mrs. Granger dipped a cloth into a bucket of water and rung it out before pressing it against Hermione's bloodied face. Hermione inhaled sharply at the contact. Her flesh stung greatly and she couldn't stop the groan of pain that escaped her.

"See, I knew she wasn't dead!" Mr. Granger said with a smirk. "I just knocked the fight out of her is all." Mrs. Granger made a "humph" sound, but didn't argue. Just as Mrs. Granger began to attend to Hermione's bloodied back the sound of the door bell resonated through the house and Mr. Granger let off a string of swear words.

"They're early!" He said in frustration and if Hermione had opened her eyes she would have seen a flash of fear cross his face before it returned to its default sternness. "Finish up with her, change her clothes and bring her upstairs." He ordered before hurrying up the staircase causing it to wobble precariously.

Changing clothes, not to mention simply moving, was a very painful experience. Mrs. Granger had bandaged very few of her back wounds, only the ones that were still oozing with blood and roughly dragged her to her feet. It hurt her ribs to bend or turn at all and when a new shirt was yanked over her head it rubbed uncomfortably against her head and irritated the skin on her back.

"Let's go." Said Mrs. Granger in a business like tone after what seemed to Hermione hours of torment trying to get dressed. Hastily Mrs. Granger grabbed Hermione's now free wrist pulled her up the staircase.

When they emerged into the den, Mr. Granger practically leaped to his feet. "See, I told you I wasn't wasting your time, here's the girl now." Mr. Granger said, rushing over to Hermione, jerking her away from Mrs. Granger and pushing her to stand in front of two men. Two men dressed in black hooded robes.

"You've really done a number on her haven't you?" One of the men asked, raising a finger and tracing the cut that went across her face. Hermione shuddered at his touch and caught a glance at his partially exposed forearm, causing her to shudder even more.

"Death Eaters…" Hermione couldn't help but say allowed, both the men laughed loudly when she did and Mr. and Mrs. Granger took nervous steps backwards.

"She's alive." Mr. Granger said, trying to resume his gruff speech, "That's all you asked, that she was alive and she is. So, if you could fulfill your end of the bargain as we have ours, we can all be on our way."

"Of course, no need to linger among muggles any longer than necessary." The man who had touched Hermione's face said and he pulled a small satchel from within his robes and tossed at Mr. Granger who caught it clumsily.

Mr. Granger opened the satchel and emptied its content into his hand, once again he let out a string of swears, no longer seeming afraid of the men that each grabbed one of Hermione's arms and begun to drag her to the door way.

"What is this?" Mr. Granger roared. "Look, I'll accept pounds, euros, dollars, anything that's current, but I don't have time to be trading antiques!" He threw the large gold coins to the ground. "These things look like they're from the 1500's! I don't have time for this; we're on the run here!" Mr. Granger said gesturing angrily to himself and his wife.

"I told you should have just killed them right away. There's no use in trying to bargain with filthy muggles, they're too stupid." The death eater that had to say anything said. The other death eater nodded in resignation.

"You're right." He said as he released Hermione's arm and spud around, pulling his wand out and facing the Grangers. Mrs. Granger looked fearful, but Mr. Granger still just looked angry.

"You can't win a gun fight with a knife!" Mr. Granger said, misinterpreting the death eater's wand and pulling a gun from the back of his pants. Mr. Granger shot at the same time the death eater said "avada kedavra" and the two of them were down in an instant.

Mr. Granger was dead, but the death eater was alive, barely, but he breathed raggedly from the floor. The standing death eater pulled his wand out and quickly cast avada kedavra on Mrs. Granger as she crouched hysterical next to her husband.

"Help me…" the downed death eater gasped from the floor, clutching at his chest in fear, apparently he'd never had much experience with guns before. "What kind of magic did he use on me?"

The standing death eater merely grinned maliciously at the man as he bled and whimpered on the floor. "You should have listened to me, now Voldemort will know who his true follower is. You were stupid to trust a muggle." The death eater spat at the man on the floor. "I shall tell the dark lord of your betrayal, but I am certain you will not be alive to reap the punishment you deserve." He raised his arm into the air and the dark mark loomed over the house and then he and Hermione were gone.

Harry apparated into the Grangers house, all pretense gone, to find it empty except for Ron, Tabitha and William Granger, all of which were sitting silently at the table, untouched cups of tea steaming in front of them.

"The dark mark!" Harry yelled, slamming his hands down on the table as he gasped for breath, apparently he had run to the apparation site at the ministry as fast as he could. Ron jumped to his feet.

"What? Where? _Who_?" Ron asked, grabbing Harry by the shirt and shaking him slightly.

"Close by." He managed to gasp out. "At the Swanson's residence." Ron looked at him imploringly. He didn't understand what this had to do with them or Hermione. Harry continued, "Swanson is a pseudo name, a fake, it's really the residence of the Grangers."

Tabitha Granger gasped loudly. She might not have understood what the dark mark meant, but she did realize that Hermione was some how mixed up with her birth parents again and nothing good could come from that.

"Can you take us there?" Mr. Granger said, standing up from the table, anger shining in his eyes.

**A/N:** There ya go! Another chapter gone, I reckon this story will only be a couple more chapters, but I tend to get carried away when I'm writing certain scenes, so you never know! Thanks for reading!


	18. Death Eaters and Aurors

**A/N:** Here you go! I tried to get it out as fast as I could, don't expect the next one to come out this fast okay?

**TO MY FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS aka REVIEWERS**: So many faithful readers I have! Thank you everyone for sticking with me for sooooooooo long! I thought everyone deserved an individual response this time for not giving up on me! If I missed you, it was an accident and I'm sorry. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR STILL READING THIS!

petrynronlover: Yes, yes, I know it took me forever! I'm sorry already okay! This chapter came out fairly fast though, right? Right?

BEV Granger711: Be glad you didn't find my story earlier because then you would have forgotten about it just like petrynronlover did when it took me a year to update! I'm glad you liked it though, thanks!

TammyLynnSlark: Yeah, I know you can get your license in the UK at 17, but um… I'm a stupid American? That and I wanted Hermione to drive, so lay off me!

sballLuvr5: Oh don't die; this story isn't worth it I assure you! Thought about makin' it Lucius but well… you'll see.

Harry Lvr: Hahaha! I'm glad you can feel Harry's pain about being scared to touch anything. I too have been in that situation and well… let's just say it didn't end too pretty…

IsabellaPaige: Read the whole story in one night? You sound like me! I love when I find a story with a lot of chapters that I haven't read before and I can just sit and read through it all right on the spot! I'm glad I was able to provide that for you!

Silver Sailor Ganymede: Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me!

jehanm: Genius, aw shucks…

animerocksjapanrocks: thanks for reviewing and you're right, anime and japan do rock!

dancerrdw: I hope this update is soon enough for you, it's one of my fastest!

pxleno52: Well if I GOT to then I GOT to, so I will, and I did!

: okay okay okay okay okay okay okay…whew, that's harder than it looks!

**Chapter 18**

Hermione fell to her hands and knees as she was apparated into a dark room with a few torches flickering from the stone walls. She felt as though all her strength had finally abandoned her.

"Pathetic" the death eater muttered from above her. Hermione clutched her side in pain and tried to steady her breathing.

"Who…are you and… what do you… want from me?" Hermione managed to gasp out as she struggled back to her feet, still holding her side, slumped over slightly.

"I'm certain you know me quite well and I want nothing but your meaningless life." The death eater stated as he threw off his hood. Hermione recognized him immediately. It's the last face she remembered seeing on that night at the department of mysteries.

"Dolohov." Hermione spat.

"I'm glad to see you remember me." Dolohov's lips twitched into an evil sneer.

"Why would you want my life if it's meaningless?" Hermione asked, a little too smugly for the position she was in.

"I thought you were supposed to be smartest witch of your age?" The death eater shot back as he strode towards her. He grabbed Hermione by the collar and pulled her up straighter than was comfortable for her ribs. "Don't you realize that even though you're a useless mudblood that stupid Potter will come looking for you?"

Hermione stared straight into the Dolohov's eyes; there was a craziness there that scared her more than anything else about her situation did.

"He won't." Hermione said as if trying to convince herself. "He won't come for me; he doesn't even know where to look."

"He will come for you," Dolohov glared into her eyes, Hermione shuddered uncontrollably at his gaze, "You know he will come for you, and when he does, either you will meet your death or he will surrender himself." With that Dolohov released her and without the extra support Hermione fell back to her knees. The death eater turned his back toward her and pulled his wand from the interior of his robes.

Hermione looked longingly at his wand. If only she had her wand with her she thought, and suddenly she remembered, she did have her wand with her! She was attacked so suddenly by her birth parents that she had not even thought to use her wand until this very moment. Slowly, trying not to draw any attention, Hermione reached down and felt in her pants pocket. It was charmed to comfortably conceal her wand and to her extreme relief her hand made contact with its familiar wooden surface.

"Ron! Harry! Get back in this car!" Molly Weasley yelled, but to no success. Ron and Harry were already sprinting across the yard where the dark mark was in the process of being removed. Witches and wizards were scattered all over the neighborhood modifying memories and aurors were inside the house investigating the situation.

"Those boys," Molly huffed as she sat in the front of the car; Tabitha and William Granger were sitting worriedly in the back, "don't worry, Arthur's inside helping with the investigation, I'm sure everything's already been handled." Molly gave the Grangers an encouraging smile before turning to look at the situation in front of her, not really believing what she had said herself.

"Get out of my way!" Ron yelled, pushing past anyone unlucky enough to get in his way. "Dad!" Ron shouted as soon as he spotted his father and hurriedly made his way towards the house where he was located.

"Excuse me boys," A man said, stepping in front of Ron and Harry before they could reach the house, "have you got clearance to be here?"

"My dad has." Ron said angrily.

"Yes, Arthur does, but do you?" The man asked, recognizing Ron immediately by his red hair. Harry and Ron looked at the man blankly. "I'll take that as a no. I'm sorry boys, but I can not let you in that house, there's been a triple homicide."

"Who got…. killed?" Ron asked weakly, looking at the man in desperation.

"I'm sorry son, but we're not allowed to release that information to the public yet." The man said.

"Well, um… look over there! It's the dark mark!" Ron yelled suddenly, pointing behind the man's head.

"I've been an auror for almost thirty years, do you really think I'm going to fall for that?" he said with a smile.

"I had hoped," Ron shrugged, "so that I wouldn't have had to do this…" Ron said as he balled his hand into a fist and slammed it into the man's stomach, taking him completely off guard. He darted past the man and into the house, leaving Harry behind to apologize.

Dolohov took a few steps forward and turned around. "I suppose it'll be best to tie you up until Potter arrives."

But before he could aim his wand, Hermione jumped to her feet, a new found energy surging through her veins. She whipped her wand out of her pocket and yelled "STUPEFY!" as she pointed her wand at Dolohov. He was caught so unawares that he threw his hands up to shield himself from the curse, forgetting about the wand clutched in his hand.

However no burst of light shot out of Hermione's wand as was expected. Instead, sparks shot haphazardly out of the half of a wand that she clung to with both of her hands, while the other half of her wand soared across the room and hit Dolohov in the leg before clinking to the ground and rolling across the stone floor.

There was a deathly silence in the room as her wand half rolled to a stop and the sparks ceased to spurt from the half still in her hands. Dolohov slowly lowered his arms from around his head and began to laugh. It was a crazy maniacal laugh, but it was still a laugh, he held his sides and doubled over with laughter.

Hermione dropped her remaining wand half to the floor and fell back to her knees. Of course her wand had been damaged! Why hadn't she at least checked to see if it had been nearly snapped in half during her ordeal at the Grangers before pulling a stunt like that? Her adrenaline burst ended as quickly as it had come, leaving her feeling even more helpless and weak than before.

She found herself hoping that Harry and Ron would come looking for her, that they would find her. Certainly they would be able to handle one death eater. Angrily she wiped a tear from her eyes. _ She _should have been able to handle one death eater. What a failure she was, always depending on Ron and Harry to save her, putting them at risk in the process.

Dolohov's laughter slowed and he was finally able to straighten up and look in Hermione's direction. "I'm sorry I said your life was meaningless before mudblood, you are good for a laugh. I have to admit its fun to see you struggle. When Potter comes though it'll be strictly business, you understand."

"No, I'm sorry but I don't understand." Hermione said fiercely, taking her self directed anger out at the only other person there, who just happened to be the one who deserved it.

"It wasn't my idea to deal with muggles you see, but seein' as how it was my partners idea and it turned out to be a fruitful one," Dolohov said gesturing towards Hermione, "and seein' as how he's no longer alive to take the credit, I don't see how it will be a problem if I reap the benefits of it. See, we simply put word out on all the underground circuits, muggle and wizard, that we wanted you or that Weasley boy or his sister alive. Anyone who was to bring one of you to us was to get a reward. As you saw, that was where my partner and I had a bit of a disagreement." He said grinning maliciously. "Anyway, I got you, Potter will come for you, he'll trade his life for yours, I give him to Lord Voldemort and suddenly I become an important and respected person in Voldemort's kingdom."

"You're even stupider than I first took you for. That will never work." Hermione said, glaring hard at the psychotic man in front of her.

Dolohov squeezed his hand tighter over his wand in anger and aimed it at Hermione's head. "I can make this as hard or as easy as you want it to be. Right now I'm leaning towards hard, but it's your decision to make. If you want I can just torture you to insanity now and take Harry by force when he arrives!"

"You could never take Harry by force!" Hermione shot back. She knew that she should just shut up and save herself some anguish, but for some reason talking made her feel less frightened and she couldn't seem to control or stem the flow of words coming out of her mouth. "I mean, he beat you in fifth year! We didn't even know how to do silent charms then! He won't be alone anyway, he'll bring aurors with him, he's not th-" Hermione was cut off as ropes burst from the end of Dolohov's wand and bound tight around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides and burning as they rubbed roughly against the lacerations on her back.

"I will not have a filthy little mudblood talk to me like that again. If you want to live to see Potter try and rescue you then I suggest you learn shut your smart little mouth up before I shut it for you, permanently." Dolohov's wand hand was shaking furiously as it remained aimed at her head.

Ron ran into the house and immediately saw three figures lying dead on the ground. One was a male death eater the other two were a muggle man and women. He let out a breath of relief that he didn't know he'd been holding. Hermione wasn't dead, but if she wasn't dead, where was she?

"Dad!" Ron yelled running over to him. "Where's Hermione?" but just as he got the question out, a hand clasped onto his shoulder. Ron spun around to face the man he had just sucker punched.

"Sir, I'm sorry, it's just…" Ron started but the man cut him off.

"Don't worry son, Potter explained things to me." The man said, gesturing towards Harry who was standing next to him. "It's forgiven as long as it doesn't happen again." The man held his hand out towards Ron and he shook it eagerly. "Of course it won't sir."

Arthur stood looking between his son and the man, confused for a moment before shaking it off and getting back to business. "Kingsley, I need to talk to you about this case, since my son is here, it means my wife and the Grangers are as well. I have a hunch that the Grangers will be able to identify these bodies for you." At this, Arthur stepped out of the door and Kingsley followed.

"Kingsley? Kingsley Shacklebolt? Head of the Auror department Kingsley Shacklebolt?" Ron asked Harry and he nodded in response. "Blimey, I punched Kingsley Shacklebolt! Wait until Hermio…" but at the mention of her name, Ron immediately quieted.

"Ron, I'm sure she's fine, I mean, she's not dead at least, right?" Harry said lamely.

"We don't know that for sure! She's not here! We don't where she is! She could very well be dead for all we know!" Ron was hysterical now, but Harry leaned in close to talk to Ron in a whisper.

"Listen Ron, when I told Shacklebolt about Hermione, he let it slip that they were able to trace an apparition trail from this room." Harry whispered. Ron just looked at him blankly. "It was a double apparition, whoever apparated from here, brought someone with them sidelong. I think it's safe to assume that the one who apparated was a death eater. They never seem to go anywhere alone when they're in costume and I'll stake my life that the death eater dragged Hermione with him." Ron's blank expression suddenly shown with understanding.

"Harry, we have to find her." Ron said as if he were pleading with him.

Harry was just about to reassure Ron that they would indeed find Hermione when Arthur, Kingsley and the Grangers entered the house.

"Can you identify any of these bodies for us Mr. and Mrs. Granger?" Kingsley asked them. The two of them stepped forward, Mrs. Granger holding tightly to Mr. Granger's arm.

"Yup, that's them. That's my brother Tim, Timothy Granger and his wife Sharon." Mr. Granger crouched down next to his brother. "Is he really dead, it almost looks as if he just fainted?"

"That's what the killing curse looks like sir." Shacklebolt responded. "Alright people! Clear these bodies out of here so we can prep them for burial. I'm sorry Mr. Granger, but because of their magical deaths," Here he gestured towards the two corpses, "they will have to be buried in a magical facility in order to avoid muggle investigation. If that's not okay, we can arrange for a squad to perform memory charms on the local authority and-"

"No," Mr. Granger interrupted, "that's fine. Whatever you want to do will be fine, my brother and I haven't been on speaking terms with one another for years."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Kingsley gave Mr. and Mrs. Granger a curt nod before turning towards Arthur. "This death eater is either reckless or wants to be followed, his trail was too easy to trace. I have a team ready to apparate to the location; we'll be leaving in minutes."

"I'm going too." Ron said, giving Kingsley a hard look, as if daring him to reject his statement. Kingsley stared him in the eye for what seemed like minutes, before breaking contact and grinning.

"Fine," Shacklebolt relented, "but I am not your mum. You're going to have to take care of yourself, watch out for yourself; don't expect us to baby-sit you. We're leaving in five."

"I'm going as well then." Harry said.

"We'll see Potter." And with that he turned and moved away from the group, Harry looked confused for a second before following after Kingsley to plead his case.

"Ron…" Mr. Weasley started warily.

"Don't bother trying to talk me out of it dad. I… I care about Hermione and if I didn't do everything possible to try and protect her and… and something happened… I could never forgive myself. Don't you understand?" Ron asked sincerely.

"I can't believe I just noticed that you've become a man." Arthur said, smiling almost sadly. "A good man, I understand son. You do what you have to do." He said as he pulled Ron into a hug.

"Thanks dad." Ron said hugging his father back.

**A/N:** That's it for this chapter! Thanks for reading; y'all are awesome to have stuck with me these long years it's taken me to get these chapters out! Just so you know, it'll probably be a month or two before the next chapter is out. School is crazy, it might let up, I'm just giving you a heads up just in case! Thanks!

PyroAndrea

p.s. did y'all notice how many times I had people gesture at someone? Too many I know, but when I reread it before posting, I was too lazy to rewrite it!


End file.
